Indigenous leaders are speaking out after two staff members at a Saskatchewan courthouse were allegedly told to go home and take off their orange shirts on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) is demanding an investigation.
MLTC Tribal Chief Jeremy Norman said the two First Nations women, one of whom a residential school survivor, had been wearing the shirts as well as orange skirts for work at the courthouse in Meadow Lake.
But he said they were told to go home and change and left feeling ashamed.
“Sending these workers home for wearing orange is not only a denial of the deeply-rooted and painful history being recognized but also an egregious disregard for the progress the country is striving to make in understanding and healing from this past,” Norman said.
“This action undermines the importance of acknowledging survivors and honouring their courage and resilience. For a justice unit to respond in such a manner reflects poorly on its commitment to equity, inclusivity, and reconciliation. It also raises questions about the understanding of, and sensitivity toward, Indigenous issues within the institution itself.”
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MLTC is now calling on the Saskatchewan government to make Sept. 30 a provincial holiday for all, and for the Saskatchewan Justice Unit in Meadow Lake to address the incident and commit to “fostering a respectful and inclusive environment for its Indigenous employees.”
“Orange Shirt Day is about recognizing and honouring the experiences of survivours,” said MLTC Vice-Chief Richard Derocher. “Sending them home was like silencing their voices. It’s a reminder of how much work still needs to be done for real change to happen. Reconciliation has to be truthful, respectful and honourable.”
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice says it can’t speak to government policies or programs during the ongoing provincial election campaign.
Lori Bossaer is the chair of SGEU’s Public Service/Government Employment Bargaining Unit. The unit represents members employed within the Ministry of Justice.
“Due to confidentiality issues, we are not able to divulge details about issues related to SGEU members in their workplace,” Bossaer said in a statement. “However, we can confirm that we are aware of two SGEU members who were sent home because they were wearing orange attire on September 30.
“SGEU supports the call for September 30 to be proclaimed provincially as a statutory holiday to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In fact, SGEU President Tracey Sauer has written to Premier Scott Moe for the past four years, asking that his government proclaim this day as a statutory holiday.”
Moe said at a campaign stop this week that he’s open to expanding legislation to allow for wearing orange at court on Sept. 30, similar to allowing poppies on Remembrance Day.
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