Several ceremonies and flag raisings were held across Grey Bruce Tuesday morning to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day.
In Owen Sound, a sunrise ceremony was held at the Giche-name-wiikwedong reconciliation garden at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park.
Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation band member Susan Staves says this was the first organized sunrise ceremony held at the reconcilation garden to mark both the summer solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day.
She says around 60 people gathered for the ceremony. It started around 5 a.m. when a firekeeper lit a ‘sacred fire’ as it was still dark.
Staves says everyone was able to watch the sun rise over the mouths of the Pottawottami and Sydenham rivers while the crescent moon was still visible in the south. There was singing, a strawberry ceremony, bannock and a dance as well.
“It was a day of celebration, reflection, teaching, knowledge sharing and community,” Staves says. “This is what the garden was meant for. Our communities coming together.”
For Staves, National Indigenous Peoples Day is a time to celebrate the culture and traditions of her people, and to be with one another and the community as a whole.
In Saugeen Shores, the Every Child Matters flag was raised at the municipal office this morning.
Town mayor Luke Charbonneau says as we celebrate our Indigenous neighbours, it’s important to remember the suffering inflicted upon their communities as a result of colonization and at residential schools.
“As a town, we remain committed to truth and reconciliation so that Canada’s Indigenous peoples can find justice and peace,” Charbonneau says.
The Every Child Matters flag was also raised at the Davidson Centre in Kincardine Tuesday morning.
National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated annually in Canada on June 21, around the summer solstice. The day has been marked across the country since 1996, but was known as National Aboriginal Day prior to 2017.
The Government of Canada describes National Indigenous Peoples Day as a special occasion to learn more about the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
A sunrise ceremony was held at the Giche-name-wiikwedong reconciliation garden at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park in Owen Sound on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (photo supplied by Francesca Dobbyn)
