National Indigenous Peoples Day marks 30th anniversary across Canada
Communities from coast to coast honoured First Nations, Inuit and Métis contributions on Sunday, coinciding with the summer solstice.
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Events across Canada marked the 30th National Indigenous Peoples Day on Sunday, a day meant to honour the culture, histories and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. The day coincides with the summer solstice — the longest day of the year — and holds deep cultural significance for many Indigenous groups. It is the culmination of Indigenous Peoples Month, observed every June.
National Indigenous Peoples Day, formerly National Aboriginal Day, was proclaimed in 1996 by then Governor General Romeo LeBlanc after years of advocacy from Indigenous groups. In Ottawa, a ceremony was hosted by Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones to mark the 25th anniversary of the unveiling of the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument. The bronze sculpture by artist Noel Lloyd Pinay, from Peepeekisis First Nation in Saskatchewan, features four warriors along with an elk, a bear, a buffalo and a wolf, overlooked by an eagle intended to represent the Creator.
Pinay's father was severely wounded in the Second World War. Elder Aurel Dube, from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, said thousands of Indigenous people have made the ultimate sacrifice for the country that took away their land. "Our Indigenous warriors have not always been treated fairly," he said.
"That is the main reason of the conception of this monument." Around 100 people attended Sunday's ceremony, including veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces, and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, who inaugurated the monument in 2001. Governor General Louise Arbour noted the contributions of Indigenous codebreakers in the Second World War and said Indigenous members of the Canadian Rangers are key to Arctic security today. Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Nanaimo, B.C., visiting an exhibit on Snuneymuxw culture at the Nanaimo Museum.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said the day must also be one of accountability. "Reconciliation cannot be accomplished by announcements and promises," she wrote. "It is achieved through quality schools for First Nations children, safe housing for First Nations families and full implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples." Across the country, celebrations included powwows, cultural performances, traditional meals, and community gatherings in cities from Vancouver to Winnipeg to Moncton.
