Prince Albert, SK –  The Prince Albert Raiders have partnered with the Prince Albert Grand Council and the Northern Lights Community Development Corporation to prepare special Orange Jerseys to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The Raiders will wear these jerseys on Wednesday, September 30 when they host the Red Deer Rebels at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Orange Jerseys will be auctioned on 32auctions.com beginning on Thursday, September 24 at 9 a.m. Saskatchewan time. Bidding for the jerseys will start at $250 or can be bought outright for $500. Proceeds from the Orange Jersey auction will be donated to Prince Albert Grand Council Urban Services.

“We’re very proud to take part in this event,” said Geoff Despins, Northern Lights Community Development Corporation General Manager. “This is a very important night and we are excited to see it all unfold.”

“As cities, provinces, and the federal government take up the 94 Calls to Action, there are both challenges and opportunities ahead of us,” said Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte. “The late Justice Murray Sinclair put it plainly: ‘Education is what got us into this mess, and education is what will get us out of it.’ That is why we wear these shirts. They shed light on the more than 150,000 children who were taken to residential schools, and to the thousands who never came home.

“Orange Shirt Day, and the other key events held across our province, stand as a testimony that our children matter. Regardless of ethnicity, class, or gender, we will continue to advocate for all children.”

Every detail on this year’s Orange Jersey tells a story. The eagle feathers are sacred, flying closest to the Creator and standing for honour, strength, and wisdom. The jersey features the Seven Sacred Teachings – love, truth, honesty, wisdom, courage, humility, and respect – and the Metis Sash, which symbolizes standing together with our Metis as they also endured this intergenerational trauma.

The crest features the medicine wheel, which is the four directions in yellow, red, black, and white, and the balance of life. It features one sibling holding another to symbolize family, protection, and the enduring bond of kinship. This central image represents the strength of sibling relationships and the importance of keeping families together.

The hoop of the crest represents the circle of life, while also symbolizing the journey of the sun and moon across the sky each day. The bottom of the shape is a dreamcatcher. The web of the dreamcatcher is modeled after a spider’s web to trap bad dreams, while the feathers act like a soft ladder to allow trapped good dreams to slowly drift down to the person who is sleeping.

The background of the crest is a tipi, which represents home, family and community. The tipi and the dreamcatcher combine to form the shape of a tear to symbolize the pain, sorrow, the separation of loved ones, and the tears shed as a result.

On Wednesday, September 30’s game will feature pow wow dancers performing pre-game and, in the lobby, a drum group, and pre-game ceremonies concluding with the national anthem being performed in Cree.

Tickets for the game on Wednesday, September 30 are available at Raider Office and at sasktix.ca.