Confederation College holds special flag-raising ceremony

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — Confederation College held a special flag-raising ceremony on Sept. 8 to mark the permanent installation of the Fort William First Nation flag on campus in Thunder Bay. The Fort William First Nation flag was raised on a recently installed flagpole next to the Canadian and Ontario flags.

“It is truly an honour to gather here this morning as we raise the Fort William First Nation flag as a permanent reminder of our relationship with the Indigenous people of this territory,” says Michelle Salo, president at Confederation College. “This flag will serve as a visible and lasting symbol of our acknowledgement, respect, partnership, and our commitment to reconciliation with the people of Fort William First Nation who have stewarded these lands since (time) immemorial. At Confederation College, we believe that teaching and learning on these lands carries both privilege and responsibility — we are committed to doing so in a way that honours the history and present realities of Indigenous peoples, respects our relationship with Fort William First Nation, and ensures that all members of our college community can reflect on this relationship today.”

Fort William Chief Michele Solomon, a Confederation College alumna, says she wanted to express her gratitude to the leadership at Confederation College for the flag-raising ceremony and the permanent installation of the Fort William First Nation flag.

“It’s important to acknowledge these lands we’re on, and it’s important for the students that come here to have an understanding,” Chief Solomon says. “While Confederation College is not the first to make a permanent place for our Fort William First Nation flag, they’re certainly not the last — I certainly encourage other institutions, industries, corporations, businesses to do this.”

Chief Solomon says she never imagined that the Fort William First Nation flag would be raised at Confederation College when she studied there about 25 years ago.

“At that time, it seemed like it was such a struggle to bring awareness of our true history,” Chief Solomon says. “[For] a place like Confederation College to willingly do this, I think is so important and so vital to sending that message to the public.”

Chief Solomon adds that the flag-raising ceremony was held one day after the anniversary of the Robinson Superior Treaty signing in 1850.

“Fort William First Nation is part of the land of the Robinson Superior Treaty and that was signed 175 years ago yesterday,” she says. “So I think it’s poignant that we get to acknowledge this flag-raising on the day that falls right after the anniversary of the signing of the treaty.”

Fort William Elder Sheila DeCorte, a Confederation College alumna, says the flag-raising ceremony was really important.

“We have a lot of students coming from abroad to go to school here, and newcomers, and they all need to be reminded of the land that we are on,” Elder DeCorte says. “We raise and fly Canadian flags, but who was here first, so that flag should always have been flown. It took a lot of years, but I’m glad to see that a lot of the schools and corporations and organizations, even the City of Thunder Bay, they now fly the Fort William First Nation flag, so it’s awesome.”

Wendy Landry, vice president of Indigenous Leadership, Partnerships and Strategies at Confederation College, a Confederation College alumna and Red Rock Indian Band citizen, says the flag raising was a “long time coming.”

“It’s a good historical day for recognition of the land that we’re on,” Landry says. “When I was with Enbridge, with Union Gas, we [flew] the Fort William First Nation flag there, too.”