Day 184 (of 2023/24) #nationalindigenouspeoplesday #NIHM2024 #NIPD2024

Day 184 (of 2023/24) #nationalindigenouspeoplesday #NIHM2024 #NIPD2024

June 21 is annually recognized as National Indigenous Peoples Day… it was announced back in 1996 by Governor General Roméo LeBlanc. It was the result of calls for the creation of a National Aboriginal Solidarity Day in 1982… a call for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples in 1995 and also in 1995 a Royal Commission recommending the designation of a National First Peoples Day… 

Mind you it took quite awhile until we were able to fully unite and agree on what the date (and another for Truth and Reconciliation) to be normalized in our school calendar… great information from the government agency with a name that still needs to be changed… https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1466616436543/1534874922512 although “Crown” – Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs is a lot better than the “I-word Act”… as that remains active: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032374/1572457769548

Politicians do like to focus on the day that connects with (usually) the longest and brightest day of the school year… https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PREM0028-000965#:~:text=Premier%20David%20Eby%20has%20issued,who%20call%20British%20Columbia%20home.

But the best reminder is that it is a lot of little actions that can result in big differences… some starting points include:

Acknowledge the traditional territory you live on (and ponder on what that means to you, and how you feel about that ask)

Take part in public events in your community (today we learned some of the canoe protocol on the west coast that I was today-years-old to also learn about [why a canoe would circle 4 times before coming ashore… with an invitation being expressed, hopefully…!})

Support Indigenous tourism, businesses, and artists (and be wary that there are a lot of non-indigenous companies and corporations that present themselves as such… )

Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commissioners Calls to Action: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf

When we know better, we can do better! And understanding Canada’s past history was not always positive will help future generations thrive in ways we can only imagine and dream of!