Prairie South School Division has permanently raised the Metis flag at its board office as a sign of its continued commitment to reconciliation and efforts to promote that culture.
Board chair Giselle Wilson welcomed Darrell Hawman, president of New Southern Plains Metis Local 160, to the April 3 meeting and expressed excitement that the partnership the two groups had signed in December was moving forward.
“This flag represents a commitment to continually educate ourselves and do our part in actions toward meaningful truth and reconciliation,” Wilson said.
“The provincial education plan prioritizes student inclusion by creating a caring and welcoming environment for all students. We are committed to developing relationships among all students to enhance their sense of cultural identity and security,” she continued. “Everyone is welcome and supported in Prairie South schools.
“We look forward toward working with New Southern Plains Metis Local 160 to support the culture and identity of Metis students and staff and families in all of our schools.”
Hawman then said a prayer asking the creator to encourage people to listen to others, be patient and empathetic, and build up their communities while being honest and open. He also prayed that everyone would be at peace together and do good.
Hawman later told the Moose Jaw Express that he appreciated Prairie South flying the Metis flag since it now joins the Canadian, Saskatchewan and Treaty 4 flags.
“It is a wonderful thing that they extended that offering to us. It’s not only in the office, but (it will be) wherever they do the traditional land (acknowledgement),” he said. “So that’s very important for us.”
It was Louis Riel — the founder of the Metis — who created the culture’s national flag, which has a white infinity logo on a blue background to represent the people’s perpetual mixed blood, Hawman explained. Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Metis flag looks similar but also has a white bison and tiger lily.
The partnership with PSSD — the details are still being defined —is advantageous to New Southern Plains Metis Local 160 because it can use the agreement to promote the Michif language in schools, he continued.
Local 160 recently visited Westmount School, where pupils took apart and put together a Red River cart and then received language instruction. Hawman thought that was a great experience.
Besides Prairie South, the Metis group has signed similar agreements with Holy Trinity Catholic School Division and Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Hawman noted that those partnerships allow Local 160 to promote the Metis culture and offer more diversity.
“So it’s a great opportunity for us. We’re a small organization, but it allows us to leverage our ability to be able to go out and communicate with people,” he said, adding it’s positive that PSSD and Metis Nation-Saskatchewan Region 3 share similar geographic boundaries since that allows Local 160 to visit schools to promote the culture.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, May 2.
