On Friday, June 21, the City of Vancouver invites the public to commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day by joining Carnegie Community Centre celebrations starting at noon at the 400 block of Main St. This Day presents a meaningful occasion to come together, reflect on, and celebrate the unique heritage, traditions, and knowledge of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
This cultural event will begin with a welcome from Chief Bill Williams from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Carleen Thomas from səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Mary Point from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
The day will also feature crafts, smudging, cultural sharing, and pop-up performances featuring the artists below and more:
- J.B. The First Lady
- Red Trail Singers & Dancers
- Mannix
- Haida Dance Group
- Michael Edward Nardachioni
- DJ. Angle
- Ember Sparxx
- Carnegie’s lexwst’i:lem Drum group
- TALON
- Zofia Rose
“I’m so proud to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day with Carnegie Community Centre for the second year in a row. Last year’s event was nothing short of inspiring, spanning an entire city block, honouring the rich vibrancy of Indigenous art, music, and dance,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “Learning about and embracing Indigenous culture is critical as we continue our journey of Reconciliation in Vancouver’s 10th year as a City of Reconciliation. As we look to the future, it’s important that we continue to address inequities, advance Reconciliation, and find ways to celebrate and showcase Indigenous Culture.”
The celebration will feature a stage with cultural performances, community organization tables, and opportunities for the DTES community to gather and celebrate and to welcome neighbours from across Vancouver to join, uplift, and support the Urban Indigenous community in a celebratory way.
Main Street, between East Hastings and East Pender, will be closed to vehicle traffic between 10 am and 7 pm. Please plan your route accordingly: drivers are cautioned to use alternative routes and exercise patience while navigating the area.
The City expresses its deep appreciation 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 Peoples Day 2024 event with Carnegie Community Centre, visit the Facebook event page.
National Indigenous People’s Day Artwork
The 2024 National Indigenous Peoples Day design was created by Melaney Gleeson-Lyall (Point), who is a spiritual being embodied as a strong Indigenous woman living between two worlds and two cultures. She is an artist, author, and designer.
She is a descendant of the Musqueam, Snaw’naw’as and Lyackson Nations, of the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest. As a Sixties Scoop survivor Melaney is reclaiming her culture and heritage. She lives on the unceded land of her ancestors, at xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), also known as Vancouver, B.C.
Melaney describes her design: “Grandmother Moon represents my late sister, Kat Norris. Kat was an Indigenous matriarch who was an advocate for those living in the margins and an Indigenous Activist. She was a respected Coast Salish elder from Lyackson First Nation who shared teachings, story and truth telling with the community of the DTES, East Van and across the city of Vancouver. The face of the moon represents Kat who will always be watching over us and the wolves represent the family and community whose lives she touched near and far. The border is my Salish Eye representing the teachings and legacy of our ancestors.”
The artwork is showcased on the 2024 National Indigenous Peoples Day flag, which was installed on the flag island at 12th and Cambie on June 1, and also featured on commemorative t-shirts celebrating the occasion.
10 Years of Reconciliation
2024 marks Vancouver’s 10-year anniversary as a City of Reconciliation. Vancouver’s Reconciliation efforts to date are based on its long-term commitment to working towards Reconciliation with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and Urban Indigenous communities.
While 10 years of Reconciliation has been a time of progress, the City knows that there is much more work to do, and that Reconciliation is an ongoing process.
To learn more about the City’s journey towards reconciliation, visit vancouver.ca/people-programs/city-of-reconciliation.
