Marking Truth and Reconciliation in Medicine Hat
Film Screening, Community Gatherings - Transit Available
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — National Truth and Reconciliation Day is on Sept. 30. There will be several events honouring residential school Survivors and their families while inviting the wider community into conversations about reconciliation.
The day, also known as Orange Shirt Day, commemorates the children who never returned home from residential schools, as well as the Survivors, their families, and communities still affected by intergenerational trauma.
Here is what is happening in Medicine Hat this year.
Tuesday Sept 29 6-8pm, Medicine Hat Public Library
Documentary Screening: Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man
The Medicine Hat Public Library will screen Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man(2025) It was directed by filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway and filmed in his home community of the Siksika Nation.
The National Film Board description says
In Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man, filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway crafts a deeply personal and visually stunning exploration of Indigenous masculinity through the voices and lived experiences of Blackfoot men. Set within the historic Blackfoot Confederacy, the film moves between moments of tenderness, resilience, humour and vulnerability, revealing the complex identities men navigate within family, culture, language and community. Through poetic imagery and intimate storytelling, Siksikakowan challenges colonial stereotypes and offers a rare insider perspective on what it means to be an Indigenous man today. Rooted in the landscapes and spirit of the Prairies, the film celebrates connection, kinship and cultural continuity while opening space for reflection on masculinity, belonging and healing in a modern world.
The film has screened at several festivals and won audience choice awards, including at imagineNATIVE.
Sept 30 Noon - 1pm, Veiner Centre Bistro
Veiner Centre Marks Truth and Reconciliation Day with Music, Learning, and Reflection
The Veiner Centre will host an afternoon of learning, reflection, music, and connection on Sept. 30 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bistro, recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Guest speaker Bertha Wirch will share her knowledge and perspectives on reconciliation and residential schools. The event will also feature drumming with Ken Turner, followed by smudging on the back patio.
The gathering is open to everyone. Organizers describe it as an opportunity to "listen, learn, reflect, and honour Indigenous peoples, cultures, and histories."
Sept 30 3-6pm, Medicine hat public library
Library Lawn Event: Reconciliation Project Announcement
Also on Sept. 30, the Medicine Hat Public Library will host an event on the Library Lawn from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
File Photo Owl News - White Horse Rider Tepee Project at Kin Coulee Park June 29 2026
The gathering will include the announcement of an "exciting reconciliation project," according to the event listing. Elder Charlie Fox of the Kainai Nation will be among the speakers.
Brenda Mercer will be sitting up tepees on the River Road lawn, and there will be activities for all ages.
Charlie Fox is a member of the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe) and a residential school Survivor.
He entered residential school at age seven and spent eight years there, separated from his family and culture.
Elder Charlie Fox at Elkwater May 2026 - File Photo Owl News
Today, as an Elder, Fox conducts traditional ceremonies and shares ancestral knowledge with younger generations.
Fox instructed the pole harvesting crew led by Brenda Mercer about tree selection for the White Horse Rider Tepee Project .
He then gave instructions in how to raise them in the Blackfoot way for Canada Day at Kin Coulee Park this year.
He said the tepees they used when he was a child were much smaller that the seven made for the Tepee Project.
Fox received an honorary degree from Medicine Hat College in 2022 for his contributions to Indigenous education and reconciliation.
His message centres on respect, kindness, and love — for oneself and for others.
"I would like to walk alongside the rest of the world," he has said.
Elder Charlie Fox sharing his knowledge with Brenda Mercer (on the ground) and others at the pole harvesting site.
May 23 2026 - Owl News
Elder Charlie has been a mentor to Brenda Mercer, a knowledge keeper from Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation and the owner of White Horse Rider Co. Mercer is a Sixties Scoop Survivor and has since been on a journey to reconnect with her culture.
Sept 30 5-7pm Medicine Hat College
Medicine Hat College Gathering: Walk, Ceremony, and Round Dance
File Photo Owl News - Walk for reconciliation Sept 30 2025
On Sept. 30, Medicine Hat College — in partnership with the Miywasin Friendship Centre and the Firekeepers Women's Society — will host its annual Truth and Reconciliation gathering on campus from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The evening will include
a one-kilometre walk for reconciliation,
story sharing led by Indigenous Elders,
a smudge,
a blanket ceremony,
an honour song, and
a round dance.
Free parking is available, and attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair if they plan to stay for the duration.
All images below are Owl News file photos from 2025.
"On Sept. 30, we honour the Survivors of residential schools, those who carry profound grief, strength and resilience," said Janice Randhile, Manager of Indigenous Engagement & Student Supports at MHC, also known by her Blackfoot name, Naa'toih'kiayo'aakii. "We remember the children who never returned home, and the families and communities who have lived with that loss for generations."
Randhile stressed that reconciliation is not the work of a single day. "It is a long-term commitment, a daily practice and a shared responsibility. It asks us to listen deeply, build relationships grounded in trust and respect, and take meaningful action within our communities."
Holiday Transit Available On Sept. 30
Medicine Hat Transit will operate on Sept. 30.
Service will run from 8:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.
City Response: Flags at Half-Mast, Tepee Lit Orange
The City of Medicine Hat will lower flags at City Hall to half-mast on Sept. 30 and light the Saamis Tepee orange in recognition of the day.
The city has also taken other steps toward reconciliation in recent months. In August 2026, a dedicated Indigenous cultural gathering space was established at Police Point Park, available for ceremonial, educational, and cultural connections. Miywasin Friendship Centre cultural connection coordinator Mekethia Fairbanks said the space reflects the Blackfoot teaching Isspomaanitpiisinii— "helping each other."
The Medicine Hat Public Library's 2026–2030 service plan lists reconciliation as a core value. The library has committed to consulting Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, adjusting policies and services to welcome Indigenous community members, and incorporating Indigenous stories, history, and culture into its collections and programming.
A Long-Term Commitment
While Sept. 30 is a focal point, those involved in organizing the events emphasize that reconciliation is ongoing work.
Elder Warren One Gun, a residential school Survivor and intergenerational trauma descendant, said sharing his difficult past has given him a sense of responsibility to future generations.
"Sharing my dark past gives me more responsibility to fight harder for the next generation," he said. "I hope and pray to see our children born into a loving community."
