National Indigenous Peoples Day falls on the summer solstice, a time when many Indigenous peoples and communities have customarily celebrated their culture and heritage. This is a day for everyone to recognize and celebrate the diverse cultures, heritage and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
Colouring art is "Water Walker" by Isaac-Murdoch from the toolkit for educators, Using Art as an Inspiration for Action
Some of the things happening:
- CBC - Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
- APTN Our Stories - Indigenous History Month 2022
- Water is Memory - 131 The Esplanade, Toronto
- National Indigenous Peoples Day Livestream Q & A with @Pam_Palmater
The full month of June is National Indigenous History Month and Indigenous peoples are invited to celebrate their history while non-Indigenous people can recognize the contributions of Indigenous peoples in the past and ongoing.
As Colinda Clyne said, on a recent One Dish, One Mic podcast, it is important for non-Indigenous Canadians to take initiative, doing the work to learn more.
This means commitments like reading the stories and sitting with the hard truths shared in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls reports and considering how to take action.
National Indigenous History Month also means though, she said, having conversations about the positive - the resurgence of language and culture, the revitalization of community, art and wellness. Finding the beautiful stories could help increase wellness.
A lot of her recommendations are cited below and you can find them in full here. Wherever you’re at and whatever method of communication you prefer, there are many ways to learn and share during National Indigenous Peoples History Month and beyond.
Note: you can find out more about the image at right, with the eagle (to represent First Nations), the narwhal (to represent Inuit) and the violin (to represent Métis) here.
Websites, Educational Material and Courses:
- University of Alberta - Indigenous Canada Course
- Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
- Canadian Museum of History - The Gwich’in
- Morning Star - Gambeh Then’
- Lessons from the Earth & Beyond
- Spirit Bear and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society.
Places and Organizations to look up: Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, TORONTO COUNCIL FIRE NATIVE CULTURAL CENTRE, Assembly of First Nations, Local Friendship Centre, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami , Métis Nation
Indigenous-led climate-related work:
- Indigenous Climate Hub
- The Indigenous Environmental Justice Project
- Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief’s Response to RBC Letter Tool Kit
- Yintah Access toolkit
- Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gidimt'en Territory - @Gidimten - Unist’ot’en Camp newsletter.
- http://www.tinyhousewarriors.com/ - We, the Secwepemc: Virtual Unity Camp to stop Transmountain Pipeline - @wethesecwepemc
Podcasts:
- one dish, one mic - JORDAN CARRIER TALKS INDIGENOUS HISTORY WITH KARL
- Residential Schools Podcast Series
- Mbwaach’idiwag: Podcast – Mbwaach’idiwag Podcast
- Stolen: The Search for Jermain
- Think Indigenous
- Future History - video series
-
Storykeepers Podcast
Music:
Art:
- @jodiesgot5 & @IsaacMurdoch1 - Using Art as an Inspiration for Action
- Graphic anthology This Place: 150 Years Retold
- Graphic novel series: A Girl Called Echo, Katherena Vermette.
Ally toolkits:
- Indigenous Ally Toolkit
- Building Trust Before Truth: How Non-Indigenous Canadians Become Allies
-
From Unist’ot’en Camp Supporter Toolkit:
- The Ally Bill of Responsibilities
- Everyone Calls Themselves An Ally, by Ancestral Pride.
- Allyship and Solidarity Guidelines, on Unsettling America.
Non-Fiction:
- Residential Schools and Reconciliation: A Canada Day Proposal by Bruce McIvor
- Whose Land Is It Anyway? A Manual for Decolonization
- Pam Palmater, Resources
- Essential reading list to learn more about Indigenous history in Canada
- 48 books by Indigenous writers to read to understand residential schools
- The Local: The Indigenous Toronto Issue
- Briar Patch, The Land Back Issue
- The Water Walker - @miskoanungokwe - Josephine Mandamin-ba's water walking story.
Fiction:
- The Marrow Thieves – Cherie Dimaline
- Indian Horse, Richard Wagamese (it’s also a movie, with an accompanying educational website)
- Mighty Muskrat mysteries - @mhutchinson_WPG - Cree cousins solve mysteries while readers learn about First Nations issues. Indigenous Nancy Drew series.
- @FineAngeline - Firekeeper's Daughter.
Other Actions:
- Greenpeace Petition - Tell Canada’s Big 5 Banks to Stop Funding Pipelines