Throughout the territories, First Nations, Inuit, Métis and non-Indigenous people are coming together this weekend to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.
From Behchokǫ̀ to Dettah and N’dilo, down to Délı̨nę and up to Paulatuk, from Sambaa K’e to Ulukhaktok, from Łutselk’e to Tuktoyaktuk, the territories are filled with chances to celebrate Indigenous cultures and traditions of Turtle Island’s far North.
“Families and friends can come by and enjoy the day!” urged Jennifer Charlo who is a lead organizers of Indigenous Day celebrations in the region.
Dettah and N’dilo, will be hosting celebrations, activities, and chances to engage with traditional stories, knowledge and Indigenous practices of honouring the lands and waters.
Yellowknives Dene First Nation hosts activities including sewing tents, canoe races, hide tanning, duck plucking, a balloon toss, Elders games, and more.
Charlo told True North FM that everyone is welcome and the event will take place at the Wiiliideh site beginning with a ceremony.
“We’re going to kick off Indigenous Peoples Day with a Feeding the Fire ceremony and opening remarks at 4 p.m., then we’ll have a canoe races at 5 p.m. everybody’s welcome to sign up,” said Charlo.
After the canoe races, another popular and fun activity many folks are looking forward to is the balloon toss and there’s tons more activities planned.
“We’re gonna have duck plucking contests. There’s going to be a hand games demo,” said Charlo.
Hand games are traditional guessing games that are connected to traditional hunting practices. The game often involves teams who take turns hiding an object in one hand and the other team guessing which hand it is in.
The day’s events will feature many traditional and cultural practices including the Drum Dance.
“We’ll have different tents, the sewing tent, the Elders tent. We will also have a moose call, and a fish fry throughout the day. We just recently added Elders games and then the Drum Dance to follow,” said Charlo.
In Somba K’e Park in the city of Yellowknife, Indigenous Peoples Day festivities are also taking place. The North Slave Métis Alliance is also hosting a fish fry along with traditional foods like bannock and beans.
Joanne Taylor, a lead organizer from the North Slave Métis Alliance, told True North FM they began hosting the event in 1996.
“It’s grown over the years. It’s gone from a few hundred people to thousands,” exclaimed Taylor.
Taylor said her favourite part of the day is frying the fish – and there certainly will be plenty of fish frying moments happening Saturday.
“And then of course, our stage we always have lots of entertainers,” added Taylor, who pointed out one performer to watch out for is James Ross, who is an accomplished fiddler.
“Our fiddler he started, fiddling when he was nine years old and he’s been our fiddler ever since he was 16.”
(Photo by Connor Pitre/True North FM)
“We have Métis dancers, Dene drummers. We have a couple artists that are from down south one, is DerRic Starlight, he is with Jim Henson Productions. He does the voices for Fragile Rock and he also has his own line of puppets that are all Aboriginal. He’s an Aboriginal himself,” said Taylor.
Indigenous artists will be featuring their work, including intricate, gorgeous beading, paintings, carvings, birchbark baskets and moose-hair tufting.
Over in Hay River, the festivities honour the Woodland Cree, the Sekani, the Dane-zaa, Dene Tha’, Dene and Métis traditions and cultures with interactive activities which will be held at the Rec Centre. A crowd favourite is the fish scale art workshop. The Métis Government Council will also host a barbeque.
The K’atlo’deeche First Nation hosts popular canoe races and axe throwing contests along with an irresistible fish fry!
In Behchokǫ̀, the festivities start out with a pancake breakfast at the Sportsplex before the Kids Carnival begins. There will be face painting, bouncy castles, loonie games and lots of delicious carnival style treats, a community BBQ and an afternoon of live music and performances. There will also be fun activities like tug of war, egg toss, three-legged races, duck plucking, hand games and even a bannock making contest.
Traditional drum dance will take place in the evening.
Over in Fort Simpson, the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation hosts a more competitive themed celebration. The day starts at the Ehdaa Historical Site with opening prayers before the canoe races begin!
Canoes hold special meaning for First Nations communities in the Deh Cho.
The community is also hosting a barbeque along with open mic performances. There will be many fun activities for families to enjoy before the day closes with a traditional drum dance.
In Norman Wells, the celebrations begin on Friday and go all weekend long. The weekend of Indigenous Peoples celebrations includes local live music performances The weekend ends with a feast on Sunday
A bannock making contest starts the festivities in Délı̨nę for Indigenous Peoples Day. The community’s cultural centre is going to be offering face painting, races, and cultural activities. There will also be games and activities for all ages along with a barbeque and a Drum Dance.
In Inuvik the celebrations will honour Inuvialuit culture alongside Métis and Gwich’in peoples of the North. The Gwich’in Tribal Council, Nihtat Gwich’in Council, Inuvik Native Band, Inuvik Community Corporation, and the Town of Inuvik host a barbecue and fish fry at Chief Jim Koe Park.
The beloved tradition of the Blanket Toss is a popular activity to join in among endless ways to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day!
