The Canadian Race Relations Foundation Celebrates National Indigenous History Month

June 3, 2019 (Toronto) — In June 2009, the House of Commons voted unanimously to declare the month of June to be National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity for Canadians to celebrate not only the historical contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, but also to acknowledge the strength of these communities in present-day Canada.

While the entire month of June represents an opportunity to learn about Indigenous culture and to participate in local events, June 21 – designated in Canada as National Indigenous Peoples Day – is especially important. The date corresponds to the summer solstice and is the time at which many Indigenous Peoples’ groups have celebrated their culture and their heritage.

We encourage Canadians to take time during the month of June to review the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and to choose, from the list of 94, one item that they can work towards over the next twelve months. Reconciliation is the business of every person who lives in Canada, whether they have just arrived or have lived here for generations.

On June 19, we also invite you to attend our upcoming webinar, Bois Brule and Flower Beadwork People – the Métis experience in Canadawith our featured presenter, Roy Pogorzelski of the University of Lethbridge. Please register for the webinar on the CRRF website.

About the Canadian Race Relations Foundation

The purpose of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation is to facilitate throughout Canada the development, sharing and application of knowledge and expertise in order to contribute to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society. The work of the Foundation is premised on the desire to create and nurture an inclusive society based on equity, social harmony, mutual respect and human dignity. Its underlying principle in addressing racism and racial discrimination emphasizes positive race relations and the promotion of shared Canadian values of human rights and democratic institutions.