City scraps St. John’s Days

St. John’s city council has decided to drop St. John’s Days, encouraging residents to instead find ways to celebrate and recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) on June 21.

In a news release, council representatives said St. John’s Days has been associated with the historic landing of John Cabot on the island of Newfoundland in 1497 and coincided with the provincial holiday formerly known as Discovery Day.

However, as St. John’s Days grew to celebrate the city and its diversity, council said it recognized the contradiction of celebrating those aspects on a colonial holiday and decided to put a halt to that practice.

In August 2018, council voted to no longer recognize Discovery Day. Last year, the Newfoundland and Labrador government followed suit with plans to hold consultations with Indigenous groups to identify a more permanent name.

“Changing the name of the holiday was an important step in the process of reconciliation with Indigenous people in the province,” council said in a shared statement.

The elimination of Discovery Day helped to advance Call to Action 47 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to abandon the Doctrine of Discovery, a concept used to justify centuries of colonial violence, including the residential school system, the release stated.

With the June holiday and NIPD coinciding on June 21, council said it will advance Call to Action 47 and deliver the adoption of the Declaration in Support of the Rights of Indigenous People.

With pandemic restrictions in place, council and staff encouraged city residents to find ways to celebrate the history and culture of Indigenous peoples in the province.