The Government of Saskatchewan celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day by unveiling the Saskatchewan Residential School Memorial.

The memorial, which calls the grounds of the Government House home, is composed of all-natural elements, acknowledges the earth, and symbolizes the circle of life.

It features a large central stone, selected by the Lieutenant Governor from Treaty 4 Territory, which depicts the province and the locations of each former residential school.

Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty, who spent four years in a residential school, said the memorial recognizes residential schools and all those who were and continue to be affected by them.

He said the memorial is a chance for people to heal and learn.

“The centrepiece has a map of Saskatchewan with the sites of all the residential schools in the province,” he said. “Learning about where they were, the expanse of the schools and the number in every corner of the province.”

The memorial incorporates symbolic elements around Saskatchewan that encourage healing, including traditional plants and trees and benches constructed from reclaimed wood from Wascana Centre.

Whether it was the celebration in Victoria Park or the memorial unveiling, people from all different backgrounds participated; something Mirasty said was great to see.

“It tells me that people are interested. They want to learn, they want to have a broader understanding of other communities and other people, and the only way to do that is to really come out and interact. For me, seeing all those different faces in the crowd really warms my heart.”