Today, Sunday June 21, is the official start of the summer solstice and is also National Indigenous People’s Day! In celebrations of First Nation, Metis, and Inuit communities across the Nation check out some tidbits of information to celebrate!
Worth your time
- Okanagan Indian Band is hosting Sqilxw Day 2020 today at Komasket Park. The celebration started at 5:30 a.m. with a Sunrise Ceremony. Throughout the day there will be online cultural activities, a run for the drum, nsyilxcen bingo, a drive through dinner and door prizes. The event is open to OKIB members.
- APTN is broadcasting and streaming APTN Indigenous Day Live, from Halifax, Winnipeg, and Whitehorse! They will be sharing cultural activities and live music all day long! Tune in to satellite TV, or Facebook live!
- Check out Sharon Bond’s Food Network’s article, 12 Canadian First Nations Recipes to Make for National Indigenous Peoples Day. It features Indigenous inspired cuisines, that range from bannock to Kokom’s meatloaf, and West Coast cedar-planked salmon!
- Tracey Kim Bonneau, the manager of arts, culture and adult higher learning at En’owkin Center will be one of the speakers featured in Fortis BC’s virtual storytelling sessions honoring National Indigenous History Month and Indigenous People’s Day.
- The Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta is offering a free open online course called Indigenous Canada. The course explores Indigenous history, perspectives and contemporary issues in Canada.
News of the week
- For National Indigenous Peoples Day the Ktunaxa Nation Council shared their Creation Story with the Trail Times this week. Ktunaxa Nation Chair Kathyrn Teneese explains, “This is a good time to share some of our history, our language and our culture with neighbors and residents of ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa,” she said. “We’ve been asked by some of our elders to share our Creation Story as part of our ongoing dedication to learning and education.”
- B.C. Regional Chief Terry Teegee is calling for an ‘overhaul’ of policing. “Across this country we’re seeing it more and more with Indigenous peoples being injured or killed while being arrested,” he told Glacier Media. “I’m so frustrated and dumbfounded. When you’re arrested, you shouldn’t end up being dead,” Teegee says.
- Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter’s documentary, Now is the Time will be available on June 21st for free streaming on the National Film Board (NFB).
- Check out Athena Bonneau’s latest article on Indigenous graduates, featuring Autumn Bent who is graduating from from grade 12.
- And reporter Kelsie Kilawna learned how Shane Miller is building bridges with bannock through Syilx Sensations, the only Indigenous owned stand at the Vernon Farmers’ Market.
Okanagan latest
- Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) released 20,000 sockeye fry into the Upper Columbia during its annual ceremonial release. ONA has been tracking sockeye fry, by pit tagging around 5000 of the sockeye released. According to ONA: “We will be able to determine when and how long it takes the fry to move down the Columbia River system, and in 3-4 years we might be able to track their returns back to the Columbia River and into the Okanagan.”
- Westbank First Nation is hiring! They are hiring a Language and Culture Early Childhood Educator (3 Year Term), and a Recording Clerk. For more information go to their website at www.wfn.ca
- There has been a Water quality advisory for IR#9 issued by Westbank First Nation. They are recommending that the elderly, children and anyone who has a compromised immune system to boil your water and/or use other safe alternatives.
That’s it for this week, if you have news or information that you want to share, email me: chehala@indiginews.com
