On June 21 the summer solstice and the year’s longest day Canada honours the vibrant cultures, rich traditions, and enduring languages of its First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Recognized as National Indigenous Peoples Day, this date holds profound spiritual and cultural meaning for Indigenous Peoples, symbolizing renewal, unity, and celebration.
Across the country, communities are coming together through diverse events that highlight Indigenous heritage. From coast to coast, Canadians are invited to explore Indigenous history through music, art, dance, storytelling, and ceremony.
In Montreal, the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawake is hosting a day of cultural immersion featuring a fish-filleting demonstration, bookmark crafting, and a free evening concert spotlighting Indigenous musicians. Meanwhile, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is encouraging Indigenous youth to express their identity through art in a special edition of the Young Artist Program.
This year’s observance also marks important anniversaries on Canada’s path toward reconciliation. It is the 10th year since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, which laid bare the trauma caused by residential schools. It is also the sixth year since the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which called national attention to systemic violence against Indigenous women.
In 2022, Pope Francis made a historic visit to Canada, delivering a personal apology to Indigenous leaders and survivors for the injustices committed in residential schools. He said, “I have come to your native lands to tell you in person of my sorrow to express my closeness and to pray with you and for you.”
In anticipation of this year’s commemoration, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) issued a bilingual message calling on Canadians to remember the steps taken toward healing and reconciliation. Echoing Pope Francis’ sentiments, the bishops wrote, “Indigenous Peoples are a blessing to the Church and to Canadian society.”
They encouraged the faithful to foster relationships rooted in “truth, justice, and compassion,” and to continue the shared journey of reconciliation with open hearts and renewed hope.
The official recognition of this day dates back to 1996, when then-Governor General Roméo LeBlanc declared June 21 as “National Aboriginal Day.” This followed years of advocacy, including calls in 1982 by the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) for a day of Indigenous unity, and the 1995 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples’ recommendation for a national holiday. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially renamed it National Indigenous Peoples Day, reflecting a broader and more inclusive vision.
As Canada observes nearly 30 years of this day, National Indigenous Peoples Day remains a time not only for festivity, but also for reflection, remembrance, and recommitment to building a more just and inclusive future one shaped by mutual respect and genuine reconciliation.