A message from Dr. Evan Adams, FNHA Chief Medical Officer
Today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples/Aboriginal Day – a time for all Indigenous (and non-Indigenous!) people to celebrate the beautiful, powerful, magical cultures and heritages of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people across the country.
I am so proud to be an Indigenous person. We have so much to celebrate and be proud of. The timeless wisdom and formidable beauty of our teachings – our inheritance from our ancestors – that show us how to view the world, how to live, and how to be in relationship with one another. Our ability to find humour and joy despite the circumstances. Our incredible, intergenerational resilience, strength and determination to survive and to thrive. Despite all that has been done and is still being done, because of our cultures and our teachings, we are still here – still resisting, reclaiming, renaming, rebuilding.
I hope this is something we do regularly, but on National Indigenous Peoples/Aboriginal Day, let’s take the time to reflect on the hard work of our ancestors and past and present leaders, on whose shoulders we stand as we carry on the fight for our rights and our vision for a healthy, vibrant, self-determined future. And let’s also take the time to get out and have fun being Indigenous! We have much to celebrate and no shortage of events to do so.
There are powwows and all kinds of cultural wellness events going on around BC: Go to at least one of them – doctor’s orders! Having fun and participating in cultural activities is super important for our health and wellness. If you can’t dance, drum! If you can’t drum, hum! The drum is our heartbeat, it connects us all.
Click here for more information about where to go and what to do!
Yours in Health, Wellness & Pride,
Dr. Evan Adams, FNHA CMO
About National Indigenous Peoples/Aboriginal Day:
National Indigenous Peoples/Aboriginal Day is celebrated on this day because it coincides with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, according to Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, formerly Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The day was established after the National Indian Brotherhood, a precursor to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), mounted a campaign to have the date recognized as National Aboriginal Solidarity Day in 1982. Quebec’s legislature recognized June 21 as a day to celebrate Indigenous culture in 1991. Five years later, the Sacred Assembly, a national meeting of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, called for a national day to recognize Aboriginal contributions to Canada. June 21 was officially declared National Aboriginal Day by Governor-General Romeo LeBlanc in 1996. Many events and activities take place in cities across Canada to mark the occasion.
