National Indigenous Peoples Day

About

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, which recognizes and celebrates the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.

Throughout North America many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or around June 21 due to the significance of the summer solstice.

As the longest day of the year, the summer solstice holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous peoples – it symbolizes a new season of life, a chance to start fresh and leave past burdens behind. Summer solstice celebrations typically incorporate traditional ceremony, music, dancing, drumming, feasts and story sharing.

In 1996, National Aboriginal Day was announced by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups. In 2017, National Aboriginal Day was renamed National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Participate

There are a number of ways you can celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day and deepen your understanding of Indigenous cultures:

1. Attend an event in your city

The Office of Indigenous Affairs and Indigenous Student Resource Centre regularly collaborate with and support Indigenous community organizations, and encourage members of the university to participate in the events being planned.

St. John's:
At the St. John's and Marine Institute campuses, students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in events organized by First Light.

Corner Brook:
At Grenfell Campus, students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in events organized by Qalipu First Nation.

Happy Valley-Goose Bay:
At Labrador Campus, students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in events organized by the Labrador Friendship Centre.

2. Stream Indigenous-created content

Watch or listen to Indigenous content on TV, radio, and online. Celebrate and learn from the many Indigenous creators making movies, music, podcasts and more.

Check out this article by CBC for links to a range of great programming, and don't forget to check out the National Film Board. 

Interested in podcasts and radio? Try a deep dive into the listening archives of just some of many Indigenous shows and podcasts available:

  • Telling Our Twisted Histories. Words connect us. Words hurt us. Indigenous histories have been twisted by centuries of colonization. Host Kaniehti:io Horn brings us together to decolonize our minds– one word, one concept, one story at a time.
  • Unreserved is the radio space for Indigenous community, culture, and conversation. Host Rosanna Deerchild takes you straight into Indigenous Canada, from Halifax to Haida Gwaii, from Shamattawa to Ottawa, introducing listeners to the storytellers, culture makers and community shakers from across the country.
  • 2 Crees in a Pod explores a deep conversation about Indigenous knowledge and how this way of life and learning is critical for Indigenous people today.
  • A Tribe Called Geek is a nerd-culture podcast that prides itself on its “Indigenerdity.” The ATCG website covers everything from comics, STEM, cosplaying, art, entertainment and more.

3. Read a book written by an Indigenous author

The literature available is amazing and diverse, from graphic novels to short stories, comprehensive histories and more, the options are endless. This following list features Indigenous memoirs published through Memorial University Press: