Music, Artisans, and Market at River Mill Park  

River Mill Park will come alive with Indigenous artisans, craftspeople, educators and entertainers for a day of song, story, and community.  Start your day strolling through the Indigenous vendor market, running between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and stay for a full day of festivities on stage and in the park. Mayor Nancy Alcock will officially kick off the celebrations at noon with opening remarks, and a land acknowledgement and smudging ceremony.

There will be plenty of live entertainment, with performances by the Lyons Sisters, Jared Big Canoe, and Canadian singer-songwriter Logan Staats.The public can also join in on some of the programming being offered throughout the day to experience first-hand Indigenous traditions and contemporary culture.

This free event is open to the public and offers residents and visitors a chance to celebrate and support the richness of Indigenous entrepreneurs, artists and culture in the heart of Huntsville.

As an outdoor event, the schedule of activities may be impacted by inclement weather. For more information, including weather updates and a full schedule of events, visit our event page on huntsville.ca or follow us on social media.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.

The post Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day In Huntsville On June 21 appeared first on Muskoka411.

This year’s theme: “Keeping the Circle Strong through the Sacred Relationship with Mother Earth” celebrates the deep cultural connection that First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities share with the land and water. It reflects the pride in their heritage, traditions, and their role as caretakers of the natural world.

To honour the day, Mayor Jamie McGarvey has extended an invitation to the Chiefs of Wasauksing, Shawanaga, Magnetawan, Henvey Inlet, and Dokis First Nations, along with representatives from the Parry Sound Friendship Centre, to attend a public Flag Raising Ceremony at the Parry Sound Town Office, 52 Seguin Street, on Friday, June 20th at 6:30 PM. All are welcome to attend.

“We are honoured to work in partnership with our neighbouring First Nations communities. Their leadership, cultural knowledge, and stewardship of the land are invaluable to the strength and spirit of our region,” said Mayor McGarvey.

The Anishinabek flag will fly throughout the weekend in recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day on Saturday, June 21. Following the weekend, the Pride Flag will be re-raised and will remain in place until the end of June.

The post Town of Parry Sound Declares June 21 As National Indigenous Peoples Day appeared first on Muskoka411.

The expanded two-day format reflects the growing importance of this community event and offers more opportunities for residents and visitors to learn, reflect, and engage.

Friday, June 20 – Walk Through Culture at Muskoka Heritage Place
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Rain or Shine

In partnership with Hope Arises Project Inc., Muskoka Heritage Place (MHP) is hosting a free immersive educational experience for local schools and the general public. Visitors can explore a variety of learning stations that highlight Indigenous culture and traditions which include:

• Lacrosse skills demonstration

• Two Row Wampum beading

• Drumming Workshop

• Orange ribbon rolling

• Screening of the short documentary, Poplar River, The Lake Winnipeg Project by Anishinaabe/Cree director Kevin Settee.

For a full list of activities and updates to scheduled programming, please visit muskokaheritageplace.ca

Please note that regular MHP programming will be paused for the day.

Saturday, June 21 – Music, Makers, and Market at River Mill Park
4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
Rain Location: Algonquin Theatre

River Mill Park will come alive with Indigenous artisans, crafts people, educators and entertainers in a second day of celebration marking National Indigenous Peoples Day. Bring your blanket or lawn chair and settle in for an evening of song, story, and community.

Opening the event are back to back performances by drummer, Jared Big Canoe, and his stage persona, rapper J-rez. Headliner Julian Taylor, presented in association with the Mariposa Folk Festival, then takes the stage to wrap up the night. Break up the evening at the vendor market where you can discover unique artistic techniques and learn more about Indigenous traditions and contemporary culture.

This free event is open to the public and offers residents and visitors alike a chance to gather together, support Indigenous entrepreneurs, and experience the richness of Indigenous culture in the heart of Huntsville.

In the event of inclement weather, plans for these events may change, with the June 21 festivities moving to the Algonquin Theatre. Follow the @townofhuntsville and @muskokaheritageplace for updates.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada

The post Two Days Of Culture, Connection, And Celebration: National Indigenous Peoples Day Returns To Huntsville appeared first on Muskoka411.

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.

The post Huntsville Celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day appeared first on Muskoka411.

Here are some of the events happening on June 21, 2023, at River Mill Park in downtown Huntsville:

4:00 pm – Vendor Market

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 traditions.

Live Entertainment in partnership with Huntsville Festival of the Arts

5:00 pm – R&B singer-songwriter Sebastian Gaskin will open the live entertainment for the evening on the stage at River Mill Park. Gaskin grew up in Tataskweyak Cree Nation and has since gone on to win the 2021 Western Canadian Music Award for R&B Artist of the Year, the 2021 Kevin Walters Songwriting Award, and headlined a cross-Canada club tour. Gaskin’s music is influenced by their tastes in R&B, Hip Hop, Metal, and Punk.

6:30 pm – JUNO award-nominated Shawnee Kish will perform at the River Mill Park stage. Shawnee is a proud Two Spirit Mohawk who has shared the stage with some of the world’s biggest names – Lady Gaga, Madonna and Alicia Keys to name a few. Shawnee has been influenced by strong, confident female performers and works to empower youth, providing strength and hope through music. Her deeply personal and always poignant lyrics are rooted in healing, and allowing both herself and her listeners to find purpose and reason in the stories she tells.

Sacred Strength: Indigenous Ribbon Skirts exhibit presented by Hope Arises Project Inc.

Visit the Huntsville Festival of the Arts Studio (58 Main St. E) to see a display of ribbon skirts presented by Hope Arises Project Inc., an Indigenous-led not-for-profit organization in Huntsville. Ribbon skirts are a symbol of identity, strength, and protection. Today, ribbon skirts are worn to signify dignity, respect, and honours the many Indigenous women who have gone through pain and suffering in the past. Following National Indigenous Peoples Day, the display will move to the Canada Summit Centre from July through to October as part of the Indigenous Story Skirts Art & Culture Exhibit.

Share your experience on social media by using the #NIPD2023 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 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 through a special collaboration between 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.

The post Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day In Huntsville appeared first on Muskoka411.

The following schedule highlights some of the events taking place on June 21, 2022 in River Mill Park, downtown Huntsville:

1:00pm
Enhance your knowledge with Indigenous storytelling, presented by Tim McGregor, from Birch Island located in the Northern Channel. This is an excellent education opportunity that is open to both schools and public.

5:00pm
Tim McGregor, a traditional Anishinabenini dancer, will hit the River Mill Park stage with regalia teachings accompanied by an Indigenous drummer. Showcasing the Northern Traditional style of dance, the audience is in for a treat with his performance.

6:00pm
The band Section 53 will play musical instruments that “weave teachings into their songwriting as they journey to reconnect and heal.”

7:00pm
Oji-Cree singer songwriter and producer, Aysanabee will take the stage. Aysanabee was first recognized performing for the Indigenous Music Awards emerging artist series in 2020.

The first 100 people to attend the event will receive a medicine wheel pin, which carries a deep meaning for Indigenous people. The circle represents balance, connection, and the continued nature of all creation. It is a system of teachings for passing down cultural knowledge, ways of knowing and ways of being.

Share your experience on social media by using the #NIPD2022 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 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.

The post Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day In Huntsville On June 21 appeared first on Muskoka411.