Listening, Learning, and Acting with Purpose in Saskatchewan  

On September 30, we mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. This day is dedicated to honouring the survivors of residential schools, remembering the children who never returned home, and acknowledging the ongoing impacts on families and communities. 

For us at SK Recycles, reconciliation is not just a moment of reflection, it is a journey. Over the past year, we have taken meaningful steps to listen, learn, and act with purpose in partnership with Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan. 

Walking the Path of Reflection and Learning 

Our journey led us to participate in a traditional sweat lodge ceremony, a sacred space for healing, reflection, and connection. 

Inside the lodge, surrounded by the elements of earth, fire, water, and air, we listened as Elders shared teachings about our responsibilities to the land, to one another, and to future generations. 

This experience was more than spiritual. It became a guiding force, shaping the values that now underpin our Indigenous Relations Program and our approach to sustainability. 

The Four Pillars of SK Recycles Indigenous Relations Program 

From this sacred ceremony, four guiding principles emerged. These principles help us see recycling not only as a task, but as a way of life rooted in respect, reciprocity, and relationship: 

 

• • Kinship and Interconnectedness (Wahkôtowin) 
    We are all related—people, animals, the land, and the materials we use. Recycling honours these relationships by reducing harm and respecting the natural world. 

 

• • The Sacredness of Life (Pimâtisiwin) 
    Life is sacred. Recycling sustains life by protecting ecosystems, conserving resources, and ensuring a healthier future for all living beings. 

 

• • Kindness and Respect in Action (Miyo-wîcihtowin) 
    Good relationships are built on care. Recycling is an act of kindness to the Earth, to future generations, and to our communities. 

 

• • Helping One Another (Sihtoskâtowin) 
    We cannot do it alone. Recycling is a shared responsibility, and when we support one another, we all thrive. 

As part of this commitment, we are also working to support Indigenous language revitalization by engaging with language keepers across Saskatchewan. Language carries culture, worldview, and teachings, ensuring its survival means ensuring the continuation of Indigenous knowledge for future generations. 

Honouring Indigenous Peoples Day with a Living Tribute 

To bring these principles into action, SK Recycles donated to the Meewasin Valley Authority Tree Sponsorship Program in honour of Indigenous Peoples Day. 

A tree, planted in Diefenbaker Park SK Recycles, carries this message: 

“In Honour of Indigenous Peoples Day – This tree is planted as a living tribute to the spirit of renewal, reconciliation, and sustainability. May it stand as a symbol of healing, growth, and our shared responsibility to care for the land.” 

This living tribute supports conservation, education, and sustainable development in the river valley, ensuring that this tree, like reconciliation, continues to grow and thrive. 

Every Child Matters 

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour the past, reflect on the present, and commit to planting the seeds of a future rooted in kinship, sacredness, respect, and shared responsibility. As part of this commitment, we have donated to the kâmwâtanahk Land-based Learning Lab, which has spent the past decade bringing people and the land back into relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Beyond financial support, we are also seeking opportunities to volunteer, helping plant medicinal plants and wildflowers, attending ceremonies, and learning directly from Elders and knowledge keepers, to deepen our connection with the land and Indigenous cultural teachings.

Like a seed placed gently in Mother earth, reconciliation requires care, patience, and collective effort to grow into something lasting and life-giving. Together, we nurture this growth, listening, learning, and acting with purpose. 

Every Child Matters.