Honouring the resilience, strength, and legacy of the Indigenous peoples was what Queen’s Athletics strove to do on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The Men’s Rugby team wore commemorative jerseys at the Sept. 30 game on Nixon Field against the Guelph Gryphons. The jerseys were designed by local artist Tsiokeriio (Diio) Hagen from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, with support from Amy Brant of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and members of the rugby team.
They used this as an opportunity to learn more about those who were native to the land Queen’s is situated upon.
Featuring traditional Haudenosaunee designs, the jerseys represented strength and determination, something that represents Indigenous people and the Men’s Rugby team.
“It’s an honour to put it on. It represents our morals and our values,” Jacob Merkur, ArtSci ’25, told The Journal. “I hope we continue to do something like this in the future.”
Evan Raymond, Law ’25, spoke about the team donning the jerseys.
“I’m really proud of the team [for] really taking a step forward and incorporating a lot of Indigenous values and moving forward and working with the Indigenous group we’ve been working with to design the jersey,” he said. “We’re looking forward to working with Indigenous groups in the future.”
Tags
Indigenous, Jerseys, Men's rugby, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
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