Toronto celebrates National Indigenous People's Day with sunrise ceremony, powwow

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 21, 2025 4:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

National Indigenous Peoples Day was celebrated successful Toronto Saturday with music, creation and a sunrise ceremonial extracurricular metropolis hallway amid pushback from immoderate First Nations leaders implicit provincial laws that immoderate accidental bypass consultation with their communities. 

The holiday, archetypal observed successful 1996, is simply a time of designation and solemnisation of the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada.

Hundreds of events are taking spot astir the state Saturday, and successful Toronto, festivities began with a sunrise ceremonial extracurricular metropolis hall, with Mayor Olivia Chow successful attendance. 

Grandmother Kim Wheatley of Curve Lake First Nation led the proceedings, which included prayers, greetings to the prima and giving acknowledgment to the Earth.

"As we locomotion the roadworthy of reconciliation, Canadians request to cognize we're inactive present and we person thing beauteous to connection and beauteous to share," she said astatine the ceremony.

Celebrations are continuing each time astatine the Na-Me-Res Powwow solemnisation astatine Fort York, which is successful portion sponsored by CBC. 

The lawsuit began connected Friday and is hosted by Na-Me-Res, a residence for stateless Indigenous men successful Toronto. Hundreds were successful attendance Saturday to instrumentality successful accepted euphony and creation connected the grassy field.

One of the dancers, Jay Lomax, said the celebrations are successful portion a mode of healing, and connecting.

"I'm present due to the fact that I'm 1 of the Sixties Scoop survivors and I was raised retired present successful Toronto. And I've been dancing since I got reconnected with the civilization successful my 20s, doing ceremonies, connecting done the land, connecting with our people, and that's what contiguous is truly each about."

Along with euphony and dance, the powwow includes the Indigenous Arts Festival, wherever civilization is celebrated done crafts and cuisine. 

Celebrations are going each day, with the powwow astatine Fort York continuing good into the evening.

Strained relations betwixt province, First Nations

The celebrations travel arsenic First Nations communities propulsion backmost against caller provincial mining authorities that galore accidental goes against the government's work to consult Indigenous peoples.

This week, Premier Doug Ford apologized for comments helium made, saying helium has treated First Nations "like gold" but they "keep coming chapeau successful hand."

WATCH | Ford's apology to First Nations chiefs: 

Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict of the Chiefs of Ontario, which advocates for each 133 First Nations successful the province, told CBC News Network Saturday that the comments were hurtful.

"What we've been precise wide with is that the rights holders request to beryllium astatine the array talking with the authorities astir these bills, astir a pathway forward," helium said. "[Ford has] acknowledged that, and I'm hoping that our enactment tin judge that apology, and look to a pathway guardant with the premier."

Speaking astir National Indigenous Peoples Day connected the 10th day of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's last report, helium said the vacation was successful portion a accidental to bespeak connected what's been done since the committee released its 94 calls to action.

"We've made tremendous strides, but there's a batch of enactment to do," helium said.