On Saturday, September 28, Prairie Co-op sponsored the Fort Knox Home Opener with an Indigenous Recognition night, because of its proximity to September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not a once-a-year event that Prairie Co-op strives to recognize, but our goal is to build and strengthen our relationships with our First Nations communities every day.
We didn't want to have this night because it's trendy, or it's a box to check off: we are committed to meaningful action in Reconciliation.

The Fort Knox wore beautiful jerseys that were designed by Aaliyah Lavallee, and were auctioned off via a silent auction to benefit retired Chief Marie-Anne Daywalker Pelletier's Daywalker Home Fire Family Centre.

We had a full night that highlighted the rich culture and heritage of the First Nation people in our area. Teagan Littlechief sang the National Anthem in English, French and Cree. Elder Robert Bellegarde said a prayer to start things off in a good way. Jason Agecoutay and Timothy McNabb sang and drummed.

We had dancers that showcased the traditional Pow Wow dances: Men's Traditional was danced by Nathaniel Deegan; Men's Grass was danced by AJ Redman; Men's Fancy was danced by Cypress Redman; Men's Chicken was danced by Curtis Pelletier; Women's Traditional was danced by Alexis Isnana; Women's Jingle was danced by Tashanna Redman; and Women's Fancy Shawl was danced by Kaley Redman.

A special thank you to Chief Marie-Anne for dropping the puck at centre ice. Thanks also go out to Holly Yuzicapi for her guidance and help for the night and for arranging the dancers.

It was also a night to celebrate the partnership between Prairie Co-op and the Town of Fort Qu'Appelle in the renaming of the Rexentre as the Prairie Co-op Rexentre. We are excited to partner with the Town of Fort Qu'Appelle to provide a valuable community attraction for the years to come. Thank you to Mayor Gus Lagace, Don McLeod, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Fort Qu'Appelle, and Jarrod Williams from the Fort Knox and the Parks and Recreation department of the Town of Fort Qu'Appelle for being amazing partners in this process.

The theme of the night was "Stronger Together: As Long as the Sun Shines, The Grass Grows, and the River Flows", and this night proved that when we forge relationships, we truly are Stronger Together.