Toronto Maple Leafs To Honor Indigenous People In Canada
Prior to their November 1st game versus the Edmonton Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they would honor the Indigenous People in Canada.
On a night that will feature Connor McDavid’s only visit to the Air Canada Centre, the focus will not be McDavid versus Auston Matthews. The Toronto Maple Leafs are using the spotlight of this game to bring awareness to the issues that Indigenous People face, whether it be losing their lives to residential school and suicide, and the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women.
From their press release, the organization stated:
To mark this occasion, a special video will be played at Air Canada Centre that evening featuring Gord Downie’s recent live performance of Secret Path and highlighting The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund that has been created to support reconciliation across Canada. Secret Path tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, the 12-year-old Ojibway boy who ran away from his residential school in 1966 and died 6 days later on the side of the tracks trying to get home. During intermission, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler will be present at ice level, accompanied by Fred Sasakamoose, the NHL’s first Indigenous hockey player, as well as Josée Lusignan, president of I Love First Peoples.
The initiative came at the request of Lusignan: “As a non-Indigenous Canadian, I want to see more Canadians involved in reconciliation. In light of the massive impact Gord is having on our nation, we have an opportunity to bring reconciliation into every home in Canada and honour Indigenous people in a way that is unprecedented. Our organization brings forth ideas and projects that make it easy to get involved.” I Love First Peoples is in talks with other NHL and CFL teams to bring more awareness events in coming months.
The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund focuses on the healing and recovery of the Indigenous People, while fostering new relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous People.
The proceeds of these funds will go to National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. More information about the The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund can be found at downiewenjack.ca.
From their official statement, I Love First People looks to “break the cycle of poverty in the lives of indigenous children and youth through education and the motivation to stay in school.” Furthermore, along with any money donations, I Love First People has a pack-a-shoebox that can be mailed to their location as well.
Also, information about the Secret Path can be found here.
In a time where Indigenous people on both sides of the border have a small voice, it’s good to see an organization like the Toronto Maple Leafs give them a voice by putting a spotlight on the issues they have and are currently facing.
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