Maple Ridge came together to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day in Memorial Peace Park on Saturday, June 21.
Hundreds of people wandered through the park to enjoy the entertainment on the stage located outside the ACT Arts Centre, and checked out various activities that were taking place.
Sewtess Cunningham and Meghan Wilson-Cunningham with the Katzie First Nation were offering cleansing ceremonies at a healing tent for guests of the celebration, using sage and traditional cedar bows.
Coast Salish artist Matt Gong was welcoming the public to participate in a community art project using two different salmon stamps that Gong created. The project involved people imprinting one of two canvases painted with a water backdrop with the salmon stamps.
Maple Ridge artist Corinne Bolduc from the Ojibwe-Cree of Eabametoong First Nation in Ontario, designed T-shirts specifically for National Indigenous Peoples Day that were worn by members of the Fraser River Indigenous Society, the group that has led the local celebration for the past three years.
Bolduc's image featured three interconnected faces in a circle.
"The imagery on the shirt represents the past, the future, and the present in the three faces," explained Bolduc, who wanted the piece to be abstract enough so people could interpret the design in their own way.
Katzie First Nation Coun. David Kenworthy said growing up he didn't see a lot of community inclusion around National Indigenous Peoples Day, but he sees change.
"It helps us to share a little bit of who we are," said Kenworthy about the celebration, whether participants are from the Katzie First Nation, or friends visiting from another territory.
"It gives them a chance to share a little bit of their culture, a little bit of who they are and where they come from," he noted, adding that it is good for the community too, to come to terms with the people who have lived on the land for thousands of years.
Gina Berg, executive director of the Fraser River Indigenous Society, and one of the main organizers of the event in Maple Ridge, noted how much it has grown over the years.
"It started with a group of women around a kitchen table," she said.
They decided to go to the bandstand in the heart of Maple Ridge to drum and sing some songs. Now, she said, it is an event that has the support of strong Indigenous businesses and artists who come to showcase their talent. They also have a great relationship with the City of Maple Ridge and PLEA Ridge Meadows, who help make the event happen, and with the nations which they work with.
This year the theme of the celebration was "Bridging Generations Through Storytelling – Connecting Elders and Youths Through Shared Narratives."
According to the Government of Canada, Governor General Roméo LeBlanc declared June 21 of each year as "National Aboriginal Day" in 1996, and the day was renamed to "National Indigenous Peoples Day" in 2017.
B.C. Premier David Eby encouraged everyone to take the opportunity to get out in the community and learn about Indigenous peoples.
“Today, people throughout the province and country are coming together to celebrate the rich cultures and many contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples," said Eby in a statement.
"Indigenous peoples have stewarded the lands and waters of this country for millennia. They have made important contributions to all areas of civic life, from arts and culture to science and law. They continue to create positive change in their communities and beyond. And they have done it all while healing from past harms," the premier continued, noting the day is an opportunity to honour the strength, bravery, and resilience of Indigenous peoples.
