National Indigenous Peoples Day
On June 21, 2022 we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day. A day to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
National Aboriginal Day (now National Indigenous Peoples Day) was first announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc and in Edmonton is part of Indigenous History Month with events across the city including a free screening of ‘Beans’ by Director Tracy Deer about a 78-day standoff between two Mohawk communities and government forces in 1990. You can catch the free film, as well as other festivities put on by the AGA throughout the day, like music, performances, and kids’ activities.
The City of Edmonton acknowledges the traditional land on which we reside is in Treaty Six Territory and did you know that the City of Edmonton is home to the second largest urban Indigenous population in Canada? As part of the city’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, ward names were changed in 2020 to reflect the Indigenous History of Edmonton. Our ward name, Nakota Isga, honors the history of the Alexis Nakota Sioux in Alberta.
Additional work that the City of Edmonton continues to do in the spirit of reconciliation is addressing the calls to action on Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual plus, exploring potential opportunities with Enoch Cree Nation for collaboration and information-sharing in a wide range of community economic development themes, and working with First Nations, Federal, and Provincial partners to understand the municipal role in urban reserve creation.
Within our ward we are lucky to have Yellowhead Tribal College. The college is the only First Nations college in Edmonton, established in 1986 by the Yellowhead Tribal Council it works to meet the educational needs of its member nations, which are : Alexander First Nation, Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, O'Chiese First Nation, and Sunchild First Nation.
The college offers upgrading programs as well as accredited post-secondary courses, certificates, diplomas, and degrees with a mandate to promote and protect First Nations traditions, culture, and language to meet the needs of their students and communities.
