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The History of National Indigenous Peoples Day

The History of National Indigenous Peoples Day

Photo Courtesy of Government of Canada

By Katarina Ziervogel

National Indigenous Peoples Day is coming up this Thursday on June 21st. Not many people know about the history of the day that is dedicated to Indigenous Peoples. The celebration brings the whole community across Canada together, educates non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, and spreads awareness of how important it is to respect and be aware of Indigenous Peoples’ history, culture, and language.

It all started in 1982. The former National Indian Brotherhood at that time (now known as the Assembly of First Nations) called for a day utterly dedicated to Indigenous peoples. Hence it named “National Aboriginal Solidarity Day”. But the day dedicated to the celebration of Indigenous Peoples and their own culture was not made official until June 21 in 1996. It was marked as an official day, “National Aboriginal Day”. It was announced by the Royal Commission and it would be celebrated annually.

Last year on June 21, 2017, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that the title itself will be changed to “National Indigenous Peoples Day”. He also announced that a heritage building at 100 Wellington St. in Ottawa, and a former U.S. Embassy will be turned into a space solely dedicated to Inuit, Métis and First Nations Peoples. Not only the name of heritage building was changed in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, but another building known as “Langevin Block” will be renamed, as Hector-Louis Langevin proposed residential schools as an attempt to erase Indigenous Peoples’ culture and heritage from Canada

This is a monumental step for the Government of Canada in the process of reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and the country. One more step like this can bring both Indigenous Peoples and the country closer to closing the gap between them.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-aboriginal-indigenous-day-1.4170695