The Pulse: June 2, 2021

The discovery of unmarked graves with the remains of 215 children on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School has rippled across the country since the Tk'emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops released a statement about the findings on May 27.

Since then, many in the Edmonton region have expressed solidarity, grief, and called for more attention to the past and ongoing harms of the residential school system.

According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), there were 25 residential schools in Alberta, two of which were located in what is now known as the Edmonton metropolitan region.

Here is what municipal leaders and residents in the region had to say:

• Most of the region's municipalities announced they would be flying flags on government buildings at half-mast for 215 hours.
• "These children were taken away from their families, subjected to horrible conditions, unacceptable treatment and were never able to return home," said Stony Plain Mayor William Choy in a public statement.
• Parkland County offered solidarity and condolences to the Tk'emlups te Secwépemc community, and to the nearby Enoch Cree First Nation and Paul First Nation. "(They) are our trusted and respected neighbours, business partners, and friends," read a press release.
• Beaumont Mayor John Stewart asked residents to consider the lasting harms of the system. "It can be tempting to view residential schools as a long-gone chapter of our past," he said in a public statement. "The real history, both officially documented and spoken, is much more recent and includes government policy and actions."
• St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron acknowledged the victims and survivors of the two residential schools that were located in St. Albert: The Youville Indian Residential School and the Edmonton (formerly Red Deer) Industrial School. Heron also announced plans for a march from St. Albert's city hall to the Healing Garden, once provincial health guidelines allow it. The Healing Garden was built in 2017 as a therapeutic sanctuary for residential school survivors, and to raise awareness among other members of the community.
• Fort Saskatchewan resident Andre Pretty spoke to Fort Sask Online about his experience connecting with survivors of the Kamloops Residential School and their descendants while working as a firefighter in the area. "They all knew about those bodies for years, and they weren't allowed to dig them up until now," Pretty said.

• The Edmonton region is under a heat wave warning — with daytime temperatures reaching or exceeding 29 degrees. The extreme heat is forecast to begin Tuesday and end Friday.
• Edmonton Catholic Schools is reviewing the name of Grandin Catholic Elementary School. The city is also working with Indigenous elders and residential school survivors to provide guidance on Grandin LRT Station murals and renaming, reports the CBC.
• A mistrial application was filed last week for convicted killer Bradley Barton an Ontario trucker found guilty of killing Cindy Gladue, a Metis and Cree woman from Edmonton.
• K-Days will be cancelled for a second year in a row. Following discussions with the City of Edmonton and Explore Edmonton, Northlands, the event operator, decided not to go forward this summer.
• A local developer wants to transform the vacant lot next to the CPR station on Gateway Boulevard into a "sea can marketplace." Beljan Development is asking the city to rezone the lot.
• The Oilers are being called out for not making a statement about the 215 Indigenous found buried at the site of a former residential school. "How could the Oilers or other teams be so fresh from speaking out in support of (Ethan) Bear but then stay silent on matters that are inherently tied to the racism Bear faces?" writes TSN columnist Shireen Ahmed.
• Vernon Watchmaker, Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations is concerned over remarks made by Premier Jason Kenney on "cancel culture" and the Canadian founding fathers.
• The province is speeding up the vaccination rollout, announcing that anyone who has received a first dose can begin booking their second shot between now and the end of June.

After consultations with fans, players, and coaches, Edmonton's CFL team has announced it will move forward as the Edmonton Elks. The rebrand will include updated merchandise and a new team logo.

What prompted the change?

• "Edmonton's CFL franchise dropped the name Eskimos last year. It followed a similar decision by the NFL's Washington team as pressure mounts on teams to eliminate racist or stereotypical names," reported CBC News.
• "The decision comes following a review by the franchise after it twice opted to maintain its team name. The Eskimos moniker has been tied to sports teams in Edmonton since the 19th century but critics say the name is derogatory and a colonial-era term for Inuit," Sportsnet wrote after the team's announcement in 2020.
• "It isn't right for any team to be named after an ethnic group," Natan Obed said in 2015. He is president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatam, which represents more than 60,000 Inuit in Canada.
  • Citing Obed's statement, Mayor Don Iveson urged the team to change its name in 2017. "I totally understand that the team has a name that they believe they use respectfully, but the team's position seems to be changing, which I think is good," he said at the time.

What happened next?

• The name change was a multi-step process. A survey published by the team in February 2021 narrowed the options to seven: Elk, Evergreens, Evergolds, Eclipse, Elkhounds, Eagles and Elements.
• "The survey received 38,761 responses, which were broken down by location, age, and other key demographics for those who submitted their preference," wrote the Elks in a press release. "Across all of the respondents, it became clear that Elk was highly favoured through all demographic categories."
• While the intent to change the team's name was announced last summer, the final decision came after almost a full year of deliberation. Until it unveiled its new name on June 1, the football club went by the Edmonton Football Team or EE Football.

How are people reacting?

• Public reaction to the name change has been largely positive. "New name, the same game," tweeted Mayor Iveson. "Given the country's renewed focus on reconciliation, this is very timely. Congrats — go, Elks!"
• "Guess Elk hunting season starts early this year," challenged the Calgary Stampeders. "Congrats on the new name! Looking forward to our next #BattleOfAlberta."
• "I love it. Some might resist change, but it was time and this is a great logo, helmet design and brand that fans should be proud of," said one fan on Twitter.

Will the team play this year?

• The CFL's 2021 season is set to kick off Aug. 5, with the Grey Cup tentatively happening in Hamilton, Ont. on Dec. 12.
• With the season already postponed once due to COVID-19, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie thanked fans for their patience in a statement, and said: "When it is your turn, get vaccinated."
• Prior to the season's postponement, the Edmonton Elks were to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 12. The match's new date is yet to be confirmed.

Accelerate Fund III, an early-stage angel co-investment fund, led the investment in a recent funding round by biotechnology company True Angle Medical, whose Mobili-T technology helps patients with dysphagia or swallowing disorders.

The oversubscribed funding round raised $1.64 million, which will be used to "grow the team, deepen knowledge on customer needs and improve product and market fit." The51, WATCT, Startup TNT, Thin Air Labs, Aeonian, and Birchcliff Partners also invested.

"The team (at True Angle Medical) has demonstrated they can bring medical products to market on time and on budget, and we're excited about what other applications may be possible with their proprietary sensor fabrics and skills at microsizing health devices," said Arden Tse, investment manager for Accelerate Fund III.

This week's word is "wahwa!" which means "oh my!" in Cree. Here's how to pronounce it.

The Cree lesson of the week is produced in collaboration with local strategic communications agency Naheyawin.