Since 2017, CIFRS has led the effort to provide opportunities for Indigenous people through advancing education on Indigenous issues, spirituality, art, and culture by providing space in Treaty 7.
Proud to be a part of the Every Child Matters Movement
Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action # 80. “We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
How It All Started:
In 2017 Diana Frost was looking for a way to honour her Mother and Uncles and their Residential School experience. Diana had noticed a lot of the Orange Shirt Day events were organized by schools, so she set on a path of creating a larger event that was accessible to everyone. From this idea of inclusion, CIF Reconciliation Society and Pokaiks - The Children, Orange Shirt Day Event were born. Alongside the many other initiatives CIFRS has going on, Pokaiks - The Children is our biggest project and happens annually every September.
Pokaiks - The Children:The Meaning of Our Name & Event
Logo by Blackfoot Artist Kalum T. Dan
Pokaiks (BOO-keks) is the Blackfoot word for The Children. This name was gifted to us, in ceremony, by Blackfoot Elder Clarence Wolf Leg. It is a gift we are truly grateful for and hold in the highest our annual walk and event aims to help Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to learn about current issues, to start collaborating on solutions by building awareness, dispelling stereotypes, building relationships, generating appreciation and support for Indigenous folx. We are better together, and it’s through events like ours, that we can build bridges and unite our Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities of Calgary.
Click play and hear from Dr. Clarence Wolf Leg’s words of reflection and the reason why CIF Reconciliation Society continues to honour Orange Shirt Day
(The National Day of Truth & Reconciliation)
Our Sister Company:
Colouring It Forward started when Diana Frost had a powerful dream. She dreamt she would create a series of colouring books in collaboration with Indigenous Artists and Elders, showcasing art and teachings related to specific nations, such as Cree, Dene and Blackfoot. With such a powerful vision Diana knew she had to make this happen and that is how Colouring It Forward was born. The name Colouring It Forward reflects that it is a social enterprise, it is combination of the word colouring and the phrase pay it forward. A portion of every sale is donated to a wide variety of Indigenous community grassroots organizations, as well as royalties paid to the Elders and artists. What started out as a colouring book series has now expanded to include many other products. The driving force behind all of this is advancing education on Indigenous issues, art, language and culture through a grassroots approach. If you would like to learn more about Colouring It Forward and what they do please visit: www.colouringitforward.com
Achievements:
Annual Pokaiks -The Children Commemorative Events, 2019 - Present
Completed Indigenous language app project Phase I and II with IndigeSTEAM
Truth and Reconciliation Indigenous Art Exhibit - Which has been touring around Calgary & Area, 2021 - 2023
Proudly following and adhering to Indigenous Protocols