On June 21, we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day. In June, we also celebrate National Indigenous History Month to honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. This year, National Indigenous History Month is dedicated to the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of residential schools.
This week's Interior Voices podcast begins with reflection on the confirmation of the 215 children found at the site of the former residential school in Kamloops. The team shares resources to support those who are grieving, educational resources for those who want to learn more, and links to celebrations and virtual activities planned for this month.
"While we are coming together to talk about National Indigenous Peoples Day, we also need to acknowledge what is going on in our communities right now."
-Vanessa Mitchell, Practice Lead for Aboriginal Health and Program Manager for Aboriginal Cultural Safety and Humility
"When we're asking, 'What can we do--where do we start?', if you haven't already read some of those integral documents, I encourage you to read some of those and refer to the calls to action," says Vanessa. "Because while we may not be able to move an entire mountain, there are pieces we can do within our sphere of influence."
Learn more about National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day on Season 3 Episode 4 of the Interior Voices podcast.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
Resources for Support:
- KUU-US Crisis Line Society – 24 hr Crisis Line: 1-800- KUU-US-17 (1-800-588-8717)
- Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society (IRSS) Crisis Line – 1-866-925-4419
- Métis BC Crisis Line – 1-833-638-47
- Kid’s Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868
Educational Resources:
Celebrating the Day and the Month:
- First Nations Health Authority News and Events and Facebook page
- Métis Nation BC Facebook page and Website
- National Indigenous Peoples Day
- National Indigenous History Month
- CFNR (Canada’s First Nations Radio) Celebrations
- APTN Indigenous Day Live
Sources for Orange Shirts:
