SASKATOON, SK – Formerly known as the Sled Dog Open, the inaugural Dakota Classic cross country race will take place on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Through the collaborative efforts between Huskie Athletics and Whitecap Dakota First Nation, it will mark the first time a varsity race will be hosted in a First Nation community within Canada West. Including athletes from the University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, University of Regina, and University of Alberta, student-athletes will race where earth, sky, water, and air meet.

The race will take place at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, the first and only self-governing First Nation in Saskatchewan. Including athletes from the University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, University of Regina, and University of Alberta, student-athletes will race where earth, sky, water, and air meet.
 
In 2018, the Huskie cross country team met with the Saskatoon Residential School Survivors Circle, which embarked on an annual tradition of wearing orange competition uniforms in support of Every Child Matters and Truth and Reconciliation. Since 2019, competitors have joined in wearing orange. 

"The pride that we have for this event and being able to wear orange is something we never take for granted," said Jason Reindl, Head Coach of the Saskatchewan Huskies Cross Country and Track & Field teams. "Since 2018, when we started wearing orange, the feedback that we continually received from the Saskatoon Residential School Survivors Circle has been so positive and meaningful to our student-athletes and our program."
 
"This year, moving out to the Whitecap Dakota First Nation for the newly named Dakota Classic is another amazing opportunity for our student-athletes and community to see reconciliation in action. The support we have gotten from our community, the Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Track and Field, and Running Wild Athletics has been amazing, and we are so excited to be hosting the races on these historical lands."
 
The men and women each run an eight-kilometer race, which will wind through the traditional lands of the Whitecap Dakota through the trails surrounding the Dakota Dunes Golf Links. 
 
"The Dakota Classic is one of my favourite events of the year because I feel extremely proud to wear the Huskie logo on an orange singlet and race in honour of residential school survivors," said Jaira Cross Child. "My grandparents and many Niitsitapi relatives attended residential schools. Because of their resilience, I am able to have the opportunity and inspiration to race. I feel proud to race in honour of them while also having the opportunity to represent my school and my team."
 
"This year we will be racing at Whitecap Dakota First Nation, located on the beautiful Treaty 6 Territory. It means a lot to me that this event is being hosted here because it shows how reconciliation efforts are moving forward in Saskatchewan. Reconciliation happens when communities come together and build each other up."
 
"The events happening this weekend will have communities come together to celebrate each other and build meaningful and strong connections that will last beyond this weekend. My teammates and I are not only excited to race, but to also be a part of this community between Huskie Athletics and Whitecap Dakota First Nation."
 
"Iniiyi'taki for the other teams joining us in wearing orange, the spectators from many different communities cheering us on, and especially for Whitecap Dakota First Nation for welcoming us to their home."
 
Fifth year student-athlete Dylan Bauman has seen the growth of this race as a positive step forward along the path of Truth and Reconciliation. 

"Since my first competition wearing an orange singlet in the fall of 2019, I have seen substantial growth in our annual university race, both through the perspective of reconciliation in our community and the growth of the event overall," said Bauman. "As an athlete competing in the race, each year I get more than just a sense of pride from being a Huskie student-athlete. I get profound purpose that what we are doing is impactful to our community."

"I hope that the previous generations and the many residential school survivors who have participated in our event have had positive experiences, and I have to credit them for coming out to watch. Personally, I feel honored to wear an orange singlet and host an event that encourages others to wear orange."

"I hope that future generations can hear the truth and reconcile from Canada's history, and I hope that my representation as an Indigenous athlete inspires the next generation of Indigenous athletes."

On Friday night, teams from Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan will have a team dinner at the Dakota Dunes Resort, featuring Indigenous education and cultural performances. The event gets underway on Saturday morning, with the women's race beginning at 11:00 AM and the men's race scheduled for 12:00 PM. Awards and closing ceremonies will follow the end of the men's race.