Local communities prepare to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
Celebrations are planned in Prince Albert and around the northeast region to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day Thursday.
Activities are planned to celebrate the annual event, which recognizes the culture and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada. The name of the event, which used to be known as National Aboriginal Day, was changed by the federal government last year to National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The Prince Albert Indian and Métis Friendship Centre is coordinating the annual event in Kinsmen Park once again this year. The teepee raising and pipe ceremony will take place in the morning, with a grand entry beginning at 2 p.m. Entertainment and children’s activities will be ongoing throughout the day until 8 p.m., with the Cupe Local 4777 barbecue starting at 5 p.m.
New at the Prince Albert event will be a blanket exercise, scheduled for 6 p.m. Janet Carriere, executive director with the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre, said the blanket exercise will provide a hands-on demonstration of European colonization in Canada and its impact on First Nations communities.