Aboriginal Day is coming up and the city has plans that include dance, drumming, food and crafts.
Next Wednesday, June 21, Market Square on Carden Street will host three hours of celebrations starting at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome.
Wiiji Numgumook Kwe–Guelph Women’s Drum will be on hand to lead all ages in a drum circle. There will be an opportunity to participate in Aboriginal crafts and community art projects.
The entire month of June is designated Nation Aboriginal History Month in Canada. The day and the month are a time to pay homage to and celebrate the culture, heritage and achievements of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples in this country.
Next Wednesday, as the event at Market Square unfolds, 10 Carden across the street will host an open house for its Indigenous Art Show. And Guelph’s 2017 Artist in Residence, Carolyn Meili, will launch her project entitled, The Parade.
Carden Street will be closed during this free, family-friendly event. Access to the Wilson Street parking lot will be open, as will the shallow pool in front of City Hall.
In a press release, Danna Evans, general manager of culture, tourism and community investment for the city, said the event grows each.
“It is wonderful to see our community recognize the history and contributions of Aboriginal Peoples while celebrating the skills, talents and strengths of present-day Aboriginal communities,” she stated.
National Aboriginal Day was proclaimed in 1996. The summer solstice was chosen because of the symbolism it holds in Aboriginal cultures.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples are distinct groups with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. The city worked with members of the Métis Nation of Ontario, Grand River Métis Council and local First Nations and Inuit community members to plan the celebration.
Learn more about Guelph’s Aboriginal Day celebration on guelph.ca/marketsquare, and Carolyn Meili’s project at guelph.ca/air2017.
Other events with an Aboriginal focus start this Saturday at the Guelph Civic Museum. Zoongeheshkwaad, a display of art by elementary and high school students from the Upper Grand District School Board starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 17 and runs to Thursday, June 22.
It promotes equity and diversity in the classroom for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students. Zoongeheshkwaad means to help someone move forward in a good way, to encourage others to move ahead together.
And the KAIROS Blanket Exercise happens Saturday at the museum from 2-4 p.m. The Blanket Exercise is described as an interactive approach to learning the Indigenous history that many in Canada are never taught.
The Blanket Exercise began in 1996 and has been offered thousands of times across the country. The goal is to build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by exploring the time of pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. The blankets represent the land, and all who step onto them assumes the roles of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
