Events are being held across the country Saturday to mark Indigenous Peoples Day

Kwakwaka'wakw dancers perform at a gathering on National Indigenous Peoples Day in Vancouver on Friday, June. 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

OTTAWA — Hundreds gathered Saturday at events across Canada to mark Indigenous Peoples Day, with messages of optimism about future reconciliation mixed with criticism that there remains much to be done.

Events held Saturday included the Na-Me-Res Traditional Powwow and Indigenous Arts Festival at the Fort York National Historic Site in Toronto, as well as large public gatherings in cities such as Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Winnipeg.

In Vancouver, the city marked the occasion with two events, including the blessing of a six-metre house post by Tsleil-Waututh artist Zac George now installed outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in the city’s downtown.

Later in the day, parts of the city’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood was closed to vehicle traffic and Vancouver held its third annual block party celebrating the occasion.

The scene saw East Hasting Street -- typically filled with cars -- instead being bookended with a large teepee and a performance stage while crowds of festival goers greeted each other and frequented vendors’ stands featuring Indigenous artwork.

Michelle Bryant-Gravelle, senior director of Indigenous relations with the City of Vancouver, said the goal was to invite everyone to experience the richness of Indigenous culture beyond the headlines that often highlight the challenges facing the community.

“We’re here to celebrate the thriving Indigenous community, the resilient Indigenous community as well as the Indigenous excellence that we have, said Bryant-Gravelle, who is also a member of the Tsimshian nation from Lax Kw’alaams. “It’s not all stereotypes and biases. This is who we are.”

She noted the large number of young families that attended the Vancouver festival, with many children and strollers dotting the usually car-filled street, as a sign of optimism for reconciliation moving forward.

“Today is a great way to interact with the community. It’s not just for Indigenous people. We want the whole community, we want all nations to come out and celebrate with us, to learn, to participate and talk with each other.”

In Toronto, mayor Olivia Chow appeared at Nathan Phillips Square to participate in a sunrise ceremony, an Anishinaabe tradition, while more than a hundred people gathered at Montreal’s Old Port to mark local Indigenous cultures on the first official day of summer.

Mohawk elder Sedalia Fazio said things are moving in the right direction between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, but there’s a long way to go, noting that many are still unaware of Canada’s history and colonial policies.

She expressed optimism about the younger generation of Indigenous people, but also about a better-educated non-Indigenous youth.

“The real importance of this day is that the world begins to know that we are here, that we have always been here, and that we are not going anywhere,” Fazio said.

For the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, Francis Verreault-Paul, the legislative reconciliation process must begin.

He expressed concern about a Quebec bill that plans to review forest zoning. Federally, Bill C-5 passed on Friday, which would allow the government to green-light a list of projects that have been deemed to be in the national interest, fast-tracking their approvals. It raises concerns for Indigenous communities being left out.

“We feel the pressure, there is a global geopolitical context that is putting pressure on us, and this pressure is being felt by the First Nations here,” Verreault-Paul told The Canadian Press. “The First Nations have ancestral rights to this territory, and in order to move forward together, these rights must be respected.”

First observed in 1996, Indigenous Peoples Day is meant to recognize First Nations, Inuit and Metis cultures and traditions.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he is taking part in a closed event in Ottawa to mark the day.

“Supporting Indigenous communities, advancing self-determination, implementing treaties, and creating generational wealth and prosperity are central to our commitment to advancing reconciliation,” Carney said in a statement.

“The government will work in full partnership with Indigenous Peoples -- advancing shared priorities such as health care, food security, housing, education, economic prosperity, conservation, climate action, and emergency management to build a better future.”

The Assembly of First Nations, meanwhile, released a summary report of its national forum held in February in Vancouver, saying there is still need for more Indigenous participation in Canadian decision-making.

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in a statement that the government’s passage of its major projects bill through the House of Commons on Friday highlighted how “First Nations participation continues to be undermined within Canada.”

“We must be full and meaningful participants at every level of decision making that affects our lands and territories,” Woodhouse Nepinak said, noting the assembly’s opposition to the bill due to what it believes to be the possible override of Indigenous rights and environmental safeguards.

“We also need a greater First Nations presence on the global stage, especially as the critical minerals and resources on First Nations territories are poised to fulfil a global need.”

The office of Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon said she was scheduled to host youth at Rideau Hall in Ottawa to mark the day by crafting paper hearts with “messages of reconciliation, hope and commitment.”

The Governor General said the plan was to plant the hearts in Rideau Hall’s “heart garden,” which honours Indigenous people who died in residential schools, along with survivors.

“Each heart is a symbol of our collective responsibility to listen to and carry forward their stories -- of pain and disappointment, strength and courage -- and to commit to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action,” Simon’s office said.

This year’s Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa. The festival features a competition powwow, traditional foods and teaching sessions.

Starting Saturday, the Forks in Winnipeg will host Many Nations, One Heartbeat, an 11-day festival of Indigenous performances, games, fashion and crafts.

Organizers say the festival will honour “the stories, strength, and resilience of Indigenous communities, especially in this moment of significant displacement due to Manitoba’s wildfire.”

-- With files from Chuck Chiang and Quentin Dufranne

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.