History of National Indigenous Peoples Day

By H at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2798872

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. The day has been celebrated since 1996 when it was known as National Aboriginal Day. The name was changed in 2017. It was first self-declared Indian Day in 1945, by Jules Sioui and chiefs from across Turtle Island (North America).

June 21 is meant to recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada.

While June 21 is a statutory territorial holiday in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, it is not considered a statutory holiday across the remainder of Canada.

The date was chosen due to its cultural significance as the Summer solstice, and the fact that it is a day on which many Indigenous peoples and communities traditionally celebrate their heritage.