Tribal council aiming to spread cheer with its annual holiday meal

Families in Saskatoon’s inner city will be treated to some early Christmas cheer at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge on Thursday evening.

Organized by the Saskatoon Tribal Council, the annual event serves a free hot turkey dinner to guests. Children under the age of 10 each receive an age-appropriate gift.

Tribal chief Mark Arcand said about 1,000 people attended last year.

While most of the work the STC does at White Buffalo Youth Lodge is for families in the inner city, and the majority are Indigenous, when they host an event like the Christmas dinner, people of different races and backgrounds attend, he said.

“It just provides a safe environment for everybody to be part of that, and the gratitude on the side of the people being treated with respect and dignity is what they appreciate. I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback with regards to the event because we probably serve 1,000 people within three hours, full-fledged meal and everything else. It’s quite a fantastic evening.”

The STC created the event because it believes everyone deserves a good quality of life, Arcand said. It’s a small way for the organization to be part of a bigger picture in Saskatoon by contributing to that quality of life with partners.

“There’s people that need that extra little bit of help, and whether it’s a single mother that’s working, the cost of food, the cost of living is actually going up, so it’s really beneficial to support people. We don’t judge.”

Volunteers for the event are welcome.

Contact the director of White Buffalo Youth Lodge at 306-6537676 for more information.