Hamilton hosts celebration to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day

Celebrations and ceremonies were held coast to coast to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day.

It’s a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

The city of Hamilton’s Indigenous relations office hosted a celebration in the forecourt of city hall. It was all to honour indigenous culture, past present, and future.

Six Nations of the Grand River is the largest First Nation territory in Canada by population, today thousands turned out to commemorate who they are and their journey to this moment.

Elected Chief of Six Nations of the Grand River Mark Hill says, “it is so empowering for us to say we are here, we are resilient, we’re not going anywhere and we really just want to have respectful relationships moving forward.”

Today was the first time since the pandemic that groups in Six Nations and Hamilton were able to come together. Many used their platform to raise awareness of the atrocities at residential schools.

Including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “when you look at the layers of trauma and the damage done by Canada, that Indigenous peoples continue to reach out with open hands and open hearts and say let’s build a better future and a better country together,” Trudeau said.

The day is seen in a new light by some this year as it’s the first gathering since Ontario earmarked funding for residential school burial site investigations.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and one that holds cultural, historical, and spiritual significance for Indigenous peoples.

Indigenous leaders say that today is about all of us reflecting on Canadian history to learn and begin to heal.