SUDBURY—Manitoulin Island was certainly well represented at the Sudbury Wolves Indigenous night celebrations on Friday, January 27. At the launch event for the unveiling of the new logo and jerseys the team wore for the game against the Windsor Spitfires, on hand were Angela Recollet of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, who is chief executive officer of Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre in Sudbury, (which partnered with the Wolves on the project), along with artist Raven Debassige of M’Chigeeng First Nation who redesigned the jersey, all overseen by Shkagamik-Kwe creative director Melanie Laquerre.
“All sports organizations in Canada have been doing their due diligence, and their duty on the Truth and Reconciliation 94 Calls to Action,” said Ms. Recollet. “As an Indigenous community, we have constantly partnered with Dario Zulich and the Sudbury Wolves over the years, for example on the Orange Shirt Day celebrations.”
Ms. Recollet said the “vision of the new logo for the jerseys was from our artistic director Melanie Laquerre, with Raven (Debassige). Melanie is an advocate for First Nations peoples, and Raven put her personal touch in a floral art form and the moon surrounding the wolf and in honour of her brother, whose name means ‘Wolf.’ It was definitely a duo effort.”
Ms. Recollet said at the launch event for the jerseys on January 24, the jerseys are an example of the many different forms reconciliation can take. “Reconciliation comes through education, through sports, through health, and through identity.”
“We (Shkagamik-Kwe) are very honoured to continue working with the Sudbury Wolves organization,” said Ms. Recollet. She said in a statement, “the Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre in our commitment in demonstrating the resiliency of the original peoples of Turtle Island is extremely honoured to partner with the Sudbury Wolves organization. We celebrate the resiliency of the people, the partnerships and the reciprocal respect of what organizations coming together looks like.”
Mr. Zulich said in a statement at the launch, “over 24,000 indigenous peoples reside in the Greater Sudbury and Manitoulin areas and it is very important for our team to be part of their culture and that we use our platforms for reconciliation and reclamation. SKHC has been a great partner for the Wolves, and we thank them for their continued support.”
Ms. Debassige said she wanted to create an image that both “encapsulates the Sudbury Wolves,” as well as “Indigenous pride and the Indigenous voice.”
“I wanted to encapsulate the Wolves and Indigenous side and reconciliation,” said Ms. Debassige. “I feel very honoured to have been part of this.”
Prior to the game, Ms. Laquerre and Ms. Debassige accompanied two local Indigenous youth to drop the puck.
