About National Indigenous History Month
National Indigenous History Month is a time to honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada and recognize the strength and resilience of these communities.
It is a time of sharing and celebration for Indigenous peoples and the month culminates with National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21st, which was created in 1996. This day was selected in conjunction with Indigenous communities and takes place around the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year and is a time many communities would gather and celebrate.
The call for a national holiday to celebrate Indigenous peoples began in 1982, and was renewed in 1995 at the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper and was also recommended in the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP). In 2017, Prime Minister Trudeau renamed the day National Indigenous Peoples Day, and it continues to be a time to reflect on the importance of the contributions of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.
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