Join the Town on Friday, June 21, to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) in Huntsville! There will be live Indigenous music, education, storytelling, arts and crafts, and market vendors. This all-day free celebration starts at Muskoka Heritage Place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then at River Mill Park starting at 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. NIPD is a special day to learn about the unique heritage, diverse cultures, rich traditions and important contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in our community.
Here are some of the events happening on June 21, 2024, in Huntsville. For full details and event schedule, please visit Huntsville.ca.
Learning & Activity Stations – Muskoka Heritage Place – 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
In partnership with Hope Arises Project Inc., Muskoka Heritage Place will be hosting National Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a free event open to the general public and local schools. Explore First Nations, Metis and Inuit interactive activities throughout MHP’s Village activities include lacrosse skills, two row wampum beading, sacred plant understanding, orange ribbon rolling, and more! There will also be a StoryWalk® of It’s a Mitig by Anishinaabe author Bridget George, presented by the Huntsville Public Library, which will guide you through the village while introducing you to Ojibwe words for nature. Note: no traditional MHP programs will take place on this day, with the exception of the Portage Flyer Train.
Vendor Market and Live Entertainment – River Mill Park – 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Come and see a diverse group of artisans and educational exhibitors. You’ll have the chance to buy local Indigenous arts, crafts, and other products while learning about cultural heritage and unique artistic techniques. This vendor market is a way for the community to support Indigenous entrepreneurs and learn more about their traditional and contemporary culture.
The evening’s festivities will kick off with a Ribbon Skirt Fashion Show presented by Hope Arises Project Inc., featuring over 50 girls and women from Huntsville, and beyond who have worked together to create a ribbon skirt. Learn about the history of the ribbon skirts, the traditional role of Indigenous women and the path of healing and reconciliation for all. Followed by the Lyons Sisters Métis Jiggers are Swampy Cree from the Métis Homeland of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, will perform their beautiful blend of traditional First Nations and European dance styles (Irish, French, and Scottish). We welcome Fancy Shawl Dancer Akina Ohlman, a 16-year-old member of the Whitefish River First Nation. Her interest in First Nations dance was born while attending programming at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre where she watched Indigenous youth making their own regalia.
At 6:30 p.m. we will have the Amanda Rheaume Concert: presented in Partnership with Huntsville Festival of the Arts. Amanda Rheaume’s rootsy, guitar-driven ballads introduce crucial dimensions to the world of Heartland Rock. In a genre characterized by anthems of underdogs, assumptions and unfair advantages, Rheaume’s sound and story crucially and radically expand the boundaries, geographic and cultural, to make space for new perspectives on resistance and resilience. A Citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, and an active and proud member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Rheaume’s music is indeed from the heart, and the land. With a new single “100 Years,” a driving, surging Copperhead Road-esque journey through a wilfully, harmfully misrepresented chapter in a violent colonial timeline, Rheaume makes a powerful statement about history and identity.
General Event Information
Share your experience on social media by using the #NIPD2024 and #NIPDCanada hashtags.
As this is an outdoor event, please bring a picnic blanket or chair for the live music. A water refill station is being provided so be sure to bring a refillable water container.
In the event of a heavy rain forecast, the River Mill Park event will relocate to the Algonquin Theatre, and details will be posted on the Town of Huntsville news and social media channels. For more information on Huntsville’s National Indigenous Peoples Day event schedule, directions or public parking, please visit Huntsville.ca.
This community celebration has been organized in collaboration with the Town of Huntsville, Huntsville Festival of the Arts, Hope Arises Project Inc., and Huntsville Public Library. The collaboration between the four organizations includes many hours of volunteer time, friendship, consultation and learning, funding support, and exemplifies allyship.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.