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Tanyce June and Lorna Standingready want to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, but they also want to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges Indigenous people face in Saskatchewan.
Residential schools, the Sixties Scoop and the high number of Indigenous people who have been murdered or gone missing continue to impact the daily lives of Indigenous people, they said.
Drawing from their own experience as Indigenous women and losing their friend Erica Hill in 2018, June and Standingready wanted to combine history with personal stories by holding a rally on National Indigenous Peoples Day this year.
The rally will be held in front of the Legislative Building on Sunday at 1 p.m.
“Our rally isn’t just directed towards the missing and murdered, it’s directed to the history of what Indigenous peoples have gone through,” said June.
“It’s important to create awareness because a lot of people don’t know what Indigenous people have gone through and still go through.”
Several speakers will share their stories and the event will be open for anyone who would like to share their own history as well. By hearing these stories, June and Standingready hope people listen and learn about Indigenous peoples’ history.
One of those speakers is Standingready’s kokum (grandmother), whom she said will be sharing about the impact of residential schools.
Organizers are asking people to keep physically distanced and wear masks while at the event. They will have some hand sanitizer and masks available, but encourage people to bring their own.
National Indigenous Peoples Day was established in 1996 and is celebrated each year on June 21, which falls on or near the summer solstice, a day many Indigenous peoples have used to celebrate their culture for generations. It is a day when all Canadians can recognize and celebrate the contributions, heritage and cultures of Indigenous peoples.
The City of Regina cancelled all its regular Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations in April in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but organizations and individuals are still finding ways to celebrate the occasion.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic is hosting a full day of activities over Zoom. Tune in for a children’s story time with Regina Indigenous Students’ Centre co-ordinator Brandi Kohl at 9:30 a.m., or get active with Pow Wow Fitness led by Deanna Speidel at 12:30 p.m. For a full schedule and links to the Zoom events, visit saskpolytech.ca.
June is also National Indigenous History Month, and to help people learn about Indigenous history and culture, the Regina Public Library is running virtual events throughout the month.
People can learn about Métis jigging with jig instructor and Mét is cultural consultants cottduf fee via Zoom on Tuesday at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, traditional Indigenous tattoo practitioner Stacey Fayant will be teaching people about the revitalization of Indigenous tattooing at 7 p.m. To register for these events, visit reginalibrary.ca/services/reconciliation.
In a news release on Friday, the provincial government encouraged everyone to recognize and honour the day.
“Indigenous peoples are a fundamental part of the history, identity and future of this land we all share called Saskatchewan,” Lori Carr, minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and northern affairs, said in the release.
“This special day recognizes the past and ongoing contributions made by First Nations and Métis peoples to build this province and to make it better, one step at a time.”