Empowering the Past, Embracing the Present, Uplifting the Future: Join us as we come together as a community to Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day!
On Wednesday, June 21, the City of Vancouver invites the public to commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day by joining Carnegie Community Centre celebrations starting at 1 pm at the 400 block of Main St.
This cultural event will begin with a welcome from Chief Bill Williams from Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and Carleen Thomas from səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nation. The day will also feature crafts, smudging, pop-up performances from Muttdog, Carnegie’s lexwst’i:lem drum group, Big Drum with John Sam, dancer Larissa Healey and more cultural sharing performances.
“I’m so proud to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day with Carnegie Community Centre. This year’s celebration is their biggest yet, with a whole city block being used to honour the rich vibrancy of Indigenous art, music, and dance,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “This community is integral to who we are, and learning more about Indigenous culture as we continue to advance Reconciliation. As we look to the future, it’s important that we continue to work to address inequities, advance Reconciliation, and find ways to celebrate and showcase Indigenous Culture.”
Main Street, between East Hastings and East Pender, will be closed between 11 am and 6 pm, offering a stage for cultural performances, community organization tables, and opportunities for the DTES community to gather and celebrate. It will be a chance for the City of Vancouver to uplift and support the Urban Indigenous community in a remarkable way.
Please plan your route accordingly: drivers are cautioned to use alternative routes and exercise patience while navigating the area.
As a City of Reconciliation, the City remains committed to guiding its work with the 94 Calls to Action identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in particular the calls to action identified in the 2016 Council report PDF file (204 KB) on Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, and the recommendations outlined in the MMIWG2S Response Report PDF file (1.2 MB), adopted by City Council in 2022. The City’s UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) Task Force also continues its work, as an integral aspect of Indigenous relations and reconciliation.
We are deeply indebted to the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations who continue to inhabit and steward these lands every day since time immemorial.
To learn more about the National Indigenous People’s Day 2023 event with Carnegie Community Centre, visit the Facebook event page.