Residential school survivors keep lacrosse program going

Residential school survivors at the Standing Buffalo First Nation are using their money to ensure the continuation of the lacrosse program. The reserve has operated a lacrosse program for its youth for the past six years, however, financial difficulties last year meant Standing Buffalo couldn’t afford to put a team together. About 80 residential school survivors in the community donated their compensation package of $3,000 to the program. The donation helped pay for the registration fees and transportation costs for the novice, peewee and bantam age groups. It also covered the cost for new equipment and allowed the teams to enter the Calgary Canada Day Tournament — one of the largest lacrosse tournaments in the country. “It was an investment in our youth because of what residential schools were intentionally set up for was to take the Indian out of the child,” said Chief Roger Redman, who also donated his settlement.