This story is made possible through the support of Housser's Paint and Wallpaper as part of OrilliaMatters' Community Leaders Program
June 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day — an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of Canada's Indigenous peoples.
For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage around June 21 due to the summer solstice being the longest day of the year.
The Orillia Native Women's Group (ONWG) — a not-for-profit organization empowering Indigenous women and their families in the county — celebrated the occasion by holding a swim and feast for the community on June 18.
Dale Tamara Plett, the project and office manager of ONWG, explained that the day is a chance to experience the strength, resilience, humour, beauty and brilliance of their culture.
"It is important to recognize and celebrate this day because we are still here. No matter the efforts, our ancestors were strong, and we still feel that strength," she said. We honour them by coming together and celebrating that we are still here, our language and culture are coming back, and we continue to laugh and be together despite efforts to wipe us off the map.”
She added that it's important for mainstream society to observe the day because there is a lot of information for them to learn about.
To learn more about ONWG visit their website.
