September 23, 2024 – The Montreal Alouettes will return to Kahnawake for a second consecutive year to raise awareness for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The team will meet with young people from Kahnawake on Monday, September 23, at the Kahnawake Sports Complex for a flag football activity which will begin at 5 PM. This event will allow the youth in the community to further familiarize themselves with the sport and spend time with the players.
On Saturday, September 28, in an effort to connect more closely with Indigenous peoples, the Alouettes will wear special orange jerseys during the warm-up for the game against the Toronto Argonauts. These jerseys will then be auctioned online, with the proceeds going back to the Kahnawake community. Dépotium Mini-Entrepôt is partnering with the Alouettes on this initiative.
There will also be a special Indigenous logo that players will wear on their helmets during that game. This logo is inspired by an artist from the Kahnawake community and is based on the current Alouettes logo.
Here is an explanation of the genesis of this logo:
-For the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it is essential to represent all Indigenous communities in Quebec, so the logo has been transformed into a dreamcatcher as a general theme. The grooves inside the red line of the logo represent the leather of the dreamcatcher.
-The strap of the dreamcatcher features star-shaped designs, each with 12 points to represent the 12 players on the field at once in the CFL.
-The Kanien (Mohawks) are the guardians of the land now called Montreal, traditionally known as ‘Tiohtià from which the Alouettes derive their name. The two languages represent collaboration on the project.
-The three feathers represent the ‘kanien.’ The traditional headdress is called a gustoweh, and the Mohawks wear three feathers in this headdress.”
“We are aware of the history of our Indigenous communities, and we were very touched during our visit to Kahnawake last year. Both the local people and our players appreciated learning more about their culture,” says Mark Weightman, President and CEO of the Montreal Alouettes. “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is important for our organization. We look forward to unveiling our logo that pays tribute to Indigenous communities ahead of our game in Toronto. Initiatives like this make us proud and help shine a light on a community that deserves it. It’s through efforts like these that we will make progress.”