Russell Mirasty, with Lt. Gov. Vaughn Solomon Schofield, receiving a Meritorious Service Medal. Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
Outstanding Saskatchewan residents were recognized for their service to the community during a ceremony at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina on Thursday.
Among the recipients receiving national awards was Lac La Ronge Indian Band member Russell Mirasty, the former head of the RCMP in Saskatchewan.
He was presented with a meritorious service decoration for his work on evaluating and updating the provincial education system.
“It provided me with an opportunity to really get immersed in it and appreciate the value of education across the province, but particularly in Indigenous communities,” he says. “And I truly believe it is one of the answers to many of the challenges we encounter every day.”
A volunteer services medal was presented to retired Brigadier General Cliff Walker. He is the co-founder of the Bold Eagle program, a unique summer employment program for Indigenous youth that combines traditional Native culture and teachings with military training.
“I think in my particular case, much of the credit goes to the Bold Eagle program,” he says. “We have over 1,700 wonderful young Indigenous people who have graduated from the military training program.”
The training takes place at the military base at Wainwright, Alberta. Many of the graduates go on to careers in policing or in the military.
Almost 50 awards were presented Thursday, most of them for outstanding volunteer work.