Oak Park jerseys honour Truth and Reconciliation

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This article was published 29/09/2023 (1096 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Oak Park Raiders separated themselves from the competition in more ways than one on Friday.

The Raiders donned special player-designed jerseys to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day in their 40-0 triumph over the Vincent Massey (Winnipeg) Trojans.

The double-blue jerseys, which read “Raiders” in Cree dialect above multi-coloured numbers, were decorated with several Indigenous symbols, including a turtle on the right sleeve, a buffalo skull on the left and painted children’s handprints in recognition of the thousands of bodies believed to be at residential school sites across the country.

“The buffalo skull represents strength and power (in my culture), said Raiders’ defensive end Dawson Andrews, 17. “There’s a lot of stories around the turtle — like Turtle Island — but, for me, I like to think that it (represents) respect and wisdom.”

A year ago, Andrews, whose father was born in Dakota Tipi First Nation (west of Winnipeg near Portage la Prairie), suggested the team create stickers to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day. The plan snowballed into an idea to create jerseys, which a student group, led by Andrews and teammate Rocco Linklater, designed in six months.

Andrews said he was overcome with emotion once he saw the jerseys in action before the game.

“This whole time, I wanted to cry. Before the game, I wanted to cry. I was like, ‘I’m so proud,’ he said.

“(But) I wanted to be strong for my team, and our whole team was strong for me. We were all strong together and we came through and won this game, so, yeah, this whole team is just making me feel amazing. They have my back, I know they got my back every time, anywhere off the field they have my back, they’re family to me and I just love this team and I love what we did for this day.”

It’s not the first time Andrews has represented his culture proudly. In February of 2022, he received a Manitoba Indigenous Youth Achievement Award for excelling in academics, arts and sports.

Andrews said the jerseys were equally a way to honour his parents as they were to acknowledge Truth and Reconciliation Day.

“My dad is a residential school survivor and I wanted to honour him in every way possible because he didn’t have the life that I have grown up with,” he said, adding his mother attends most of his football games, despite battling kidney disease.

“He felt like he didn’t have a childhood like this and I’m so grateful that he’s given me a childhood like this. I’m so grateful for my dad, I’m so grateful for my mom.”

Elsewhere in the league, the Maples Marauders honoured Truth and Reconciliation Day before, during and after its game against West Kildonan on Friday. A drum group and Indigenous dancers performed ahead of the action and a cultural performance took place at halftime while players and coaches donned orange shirts and tape with their gear.

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

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