Celebrate National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day

Celebrate National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day

City Hall

June is National Indigenous History Month, and Monday, June 21, is especially recognized as National Indigenous Peoples Day. These celebrations should serve as a reminder that Indigenous history, people, and cultures should be recognized, celebrated, and acknowledged all year round.

The City of Terrace acknowledges that we live, work, and play on the Laxyuubm Tsimshian, Kitsumkalum and Kitselas, toyaxsuut. May we continue to work together to build our communities up through collaboration and understanding.

More than ever, National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to listen, read, learn, and, most importantly, honour the missing children, families left behind, and survivors of residential schools.

While some opportunities may remain unavailable at this time due to the pandemic, there are still countless opportunities for participating in embracing the many diverse Indigenous cultures in your own way.

Mental health supports available

Former Residential School students can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports available.

Indigenous peoples across Canada can also reach out to the Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca.

 

Take Action

Indigenous Corporate Training has put together a list of 10 things you can do to support Indigenous communities every day: https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/10-things-you-can-do-kamloops-indian-residential-school

Visit (safely)

See how Indigenous Tourism BC suggests celebrating, including visiting Indigenous experiences whose doors are open. Please be sure to follow and respect all guidelines in place for travel from the provincial government as well as from the community you are visiting. HelloBC has some reminders for recreational travel. Explore Indigenous Tourism BC: https://www.indigenousbc.com/travel-ideas

Stream

CFNR, Canada's First Nations Radio, has a video on their website as well as a live show starting at 10 am on June 21, 2021: https://www.cfnrfm.ca/nipd/

Learn

Read a concise history of the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and Canada in this report from the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples: https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/committee/421/APPA/Reports/APPAReport-Phase1_WEB_e.pdf

See what the Government of Canada is doing to advance reconciliation and renew the relationship with Indigenous peoples: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1400782178444/1529183710887

Discover some amazing Indigenous athletes: https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/celebrate-21-indigenous-athletes-for-national-indigenous-peoples-day

Get Involved

Join, donate, or learn more about Terrace's Kermode Friendship Society: http://kermodefriendship.ca/

Volunteer with Reconciliation Canada: https://reconciliationcanada.ca/get-involved/how-to-get-involved/

Watch

Watch The Secret Path: https://secretpath.ca/

Discover

Learn about the 60 languages belonging to 12 language families and where they are being used in Canada: https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/mapping-indigenous-languages-canada

Map It

See a map of the approximate locations of First Nations in BC: https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/dmf-viewer/?siteid=5228028621212382210

Read

Check out this #IndigenousReads list for books for children and adults: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1496255894592/1557840487211

Follow

See what’s going on locally by following:

Follow Reconciliation Canada: https://www.facebook.com/ReconciliationCanada

Follow the Government of Canada’s Indigenous Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GCIndigenous/

 

This list is by no means an exhaustive collection of resources—please let us know if there is something you’d like to see included. Email klautens@terrace.ca.