From the Office of the Mayor - National Indigenous Peoples Day - June 21, 2024

National Indigenous Peoples Day: June 21 

June 19, 2024 

As the celebration of National Indigenous History Month continues, on June 21st  we will mark National Indigenous Peoples Day – a day to honour the heritage, culture, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across Canada. June 21st  also has spiritual significance as the Summer Solstice, bringing forward a new season of life.  

Tomorrow evening on June 20th, our local Truth and Reconciliation group Mississippi Mills All My Relations in partnership with the Municipality is hosting a Summer Solstice Celebration at John Levi Community Centre (182 Bridge Street, Almonte). Beginning at 6 p.m., the celebration includes an Indigenous ceremony, food, music, jingle dancing, crafts, Inuit games, and more. Come and celebrate the longest day of the year!  Everyone is welcome! 

Last year, as part of our Mississippi Mills Bicentennial celebrations, The Seven Gifts public art installation was unveiled in Almonte’s Riverfront Park. A project by Mississippi Mills All My Relations, this initiative was realized by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people working together. It pays tribute to the Seven Grandfather Teachings of the Algonquin Anishinaabe. It’s a meaningful addition to our Riverfront Park and I encourage everyone to visit for some education and quiet reflection.  

Mississippi Mills is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe (Algonquin) People. Unceded means the territory was never given to the Crown through a treaty or other agreement. Indigenous Peoples have lived on these lands for thousands of years. 

It’s important to mark National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day and to acknowledge the obstacles and intergenerational trauma Indigenous Peoples bear.  We can all take steps to raise our understanding of colonization and gain a deeper knowledge of our local and national history.  

I continue to encourage us all to take those meaningful steps in the journey toward Truth and Reconciliation, not just on National Indigenous Peoples Day, but all 365 days of the year. 

Sincerely, 

Mayor Christa Lowry 

Municipality of Mississippi Mills