National Indigenous Peoples Day about celebration, community
Saturday marked National Indigenous People's Day in Canada and the Barrie Native Friendship Centre (BNFC) held a special barbecue at Springwater Provincial Park to celebrate the occasion.
Despite the afternoon thunderstorms, community members enjoyed a wide range of activities, crafts and food, as well as traditional practices such as gathering around the sacred fire and the BNFC's ceremony grounds.
'Represents a lot of things,' said Josie Fiegehen, BNFC Cultural Resources Coordinator, of the annual occasion. 'It also is the solstice, which is the longest day of the year, so that is really important to us to come together as a community.'
Fiegehen emphasized that, while September is a 'heavier' month with the commemoration of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, National Indigenous People's Day is an important time of celebration.
'You hear a lot of stories and people sharing their truth, like as survivors and family members of survivors, and it's really important to hear those stories,' she added. 'But this day is really more about celebrating our joy and the community that is thriving. Gathering and just celebrating each other in that too is very important.'
The barbecue at Springwater Provincial Park was among several Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations around the region on Saturday.
The BNFC will offer a week of their culture camp this summer along with their regular summer programming.
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