Clockwise from top left: Danielle Lightning, Derek Chewka, Shazeda Stamp, Shelby LaFramboise, Emma Rain and Lewis Cardinal. 

Designating the summer solstice as a day to celebrate the culture, language, traditions and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities was no accident. The shift from spring to summer has been a time of deep spiritual and cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples who have lived on this land since time immemorial.

What do you hope people are thinking about on National Indigenous Peoples Day?

Rain: The beauty that's within our culture. 

Cardinal: The many significant contributions Indigenous peoples have gifted to Canada and Canadians – access to lands and natural resources through treaties, medicines, the higher-than-average percentage of voluntary military service, the concept of universal health care and the name of our nation: kanata/Canada.

Stamp: That people are graceful. Today, we have much more Indigenous representation in mainstream social media, culture and art, but there is still sometimes backlash on social media and a few people being ignorant online around this day. I hope to see less of that this year and that people will focus on our talents, what we bring to the world and the beauty of our art. 

Chewka: That we – the collective we – do not lose sight of what this day is about. It is great that more activities are being offered for people to celebrate and learn about the diversity of Indigenous cultures from across Turtle Island. However, I am also starting to see the commercialization of the day, where events come with a ticket price, limiting the ability to attend. That is not what this day should be about.

Lightning: How all the Indigenous changemakers, path pavers and inspiring leaders are showcased so that Indigenous youth can see these role models and make goals for themselves. Indigenous people are opening new doors in every avenue or field, whether in arts, tourism, culture, economic development or academia. These role models have removed barriers and embraced challenges so that the next generation can be as successful or even more successful. 

What does June 21 mean to you? 

LaFramboise: It’s a day to remind ourselves that, despite everything, we’re still here – and we belong here. We officially celebrate Indigeneity in June, but we should also embed it within every piece of our curriculum, content and daily interactions – highlighting, honouring and acknowledging the grandmothers and grandfathers who came before us, the sacredness of what they’ve given us and our responsibility to the land, the cosmos, the sky, the water and all animate and inanimate beings. 

Cardinal: It is the day when the sun moves further north and begins its journey south. It’s a day when we celebrate all our relations and the gifts we receive because of them. For Canada, it is a day to reflect, give thanks and renew our commitments to each other as Canadians and Indigenous Peoples.

Chewka: It is an opportunity to celebrate and further learn about my Métis ancestry. Every year on this day, I also challenge myself to learn something new about the Indigenous people of Canada. I was fortunate to work within the Blackfoot Confederacy this past year, learning about the Siksika Nation. It was a giant learning curve for me as the majority of my teachings have been based in the Cree worldview.

Lightning: I carry a responsibility to be proud and celebrate our culture for those children who couldn’t. We celebrate our culture daily because I need to ensure that my daughter understands the importance of our culture and keeps our traditions going. Hearing my daughter share her pride in being Cree with her young peers feels great. For me, June 21 is about spending time and being present with my family. 

How do you mark this day?

Cardinal: I start the morning with a smudge and a prayer in which I hold in my heart all those relatives who’ve worked hard and sacrificed so much to create opportunities and gifts for my family and me to succeed and find our rightful place in Canada. For the second half of the day, I attend activities and celebrations. In this way, I’m with communities and Edmontonians in an atmosphere of peace, friendship and respect, which are the foundational principles of our treaties in Canada.

LaFramboise: For years, when I was working in schools, I organized activities for National Indigenous Peoples Day – finding people to come to the schools, taking care of honorariums. Now that June 21 is more fully embraced as a national day of celebration, I’m happy to spend the day with my children and for them to see themselves in a beautiful light. 

Rain: I haven’t really celebrated this day in the past. I wasn’t raised “traditionally,” but having a child has made me so much more connected to my culture and to want to learn. I don’t want him to experience the identity crisis I went through in high school. I want him to be proud of who he is, where he comes from and the people who came before him.

Stamp: I have an older cousin who is like a sister to me, and we used to go around to the events in the city – Fort Edmonton Park or Indigenous art galleries or make rattles, drums or paintings.

Chewka: When I worked for Alberta Children’s Services, I was part of a team that planned a day of festivities that initially started as a picnic in a field in Stony Plain with maybe 50 people in attendance and grew to thousands. It was amazing. My fondest memory was ensuring that every child in care was connected with an Elder or a person from their community of origin, so they knew where they came from. This year, I want to check out what my childhood town of Hinton has to offer. 

Lightning: This year, we will visit with family, sit with my dad, who is an Elder, and hear his stories. We will have a big meal, and the grandkids will watch my mom make bannock. We will wake up, smudge and play round dance music as loudly as we want. We will plan our powwow trail with family and friends and sew regalia. We will invite our friends to join us in the city’s events, listen to the powwow drums and watch the powwow dancing showcases, leaving us excited for the next powwow!

How does this day differ from the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in September?

Cardinal: The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is to National Indigenous Peoples Day as Remembrance Day is to Canada Day. On Remembrance Day, we honour the fallen and the sacrifices to secure freedom. On September 30, we remember those child victims of Indian Residential Schools and those who suffered and were lost under the oppression and cultural genocide through colonial policies of forced assimilation. June 21 is a people’s day. We celebrate contributions and the spirit of right relations between Indigenous peoples and Canadians.

Rain: When people think about resilience, they think about what happens in September with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is sad. There is intergenerational trauma. It is a very hard day for a lot of people. But we are more than what happened to us, and those things that still negatively impact us today. 

LaFramboise: As an Indigenous researcher, September 30 is very sombre. It marks a time when our children, who are now our fathers, mothers, grandmothers and grandfathers, were swooped and scooped. It’s a reminder of the legacy of colonization that still exists in our systems – child and family services, civil courts, health care and the legal system – that continue to swoop and scoop our children. June is a lot lighter. It feels like a time of high vibrational energy where we can look at the incredible gifts of language, music, performance, song and poetry across Turtle Island.

Final words

Chewka: I challenge everyone this National Indigenous People’s Day to go out and lean into their discomfort and participate in a new and meaningful way in the celebrations that are being offered around you. And to find your voice and speak out when you see oppressive actions against Indigenous people.

LaFramboise: In Cree, wakotowin means “being related.” It’s also about interconnectedness and responsibility. Some of it is fractured, some is still healing and some is in a state of flux. We are all related, and how we choose to relate to one another is powerful. We’re much more similar than we are different. When we break it down, we’re all human. Life is short. Walk in a good way.

Looking for ways to celebrate?

Visit the City of Edmonton’s complete National Indigenous History Month activities list.

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MacEwan University is a diverse community with approximately 2,800 faculty and staff supporting almost 19,000 students. We are proud of our more than 90,000 alumni in communities across Canada and around the world. We could only fit six voices into this piece, but we invite you to join the conversation on our social media platforms.