As National Indigenous Peoples Day approaches - and after the discovery of 215 children in unmarked graves at a former Kamloops Residential School - the City of Burnaby is encouraging residents to get more involved.
In a release, the city says that instead of large celebrations on June 21, residents are encouraged to explore local resources to listen, learn and better appreciate the history and continuing injustices Indigenous peoples face.
Available through the Heritage Burnaby website, the city was created numerous short videos, which gives residents the chance to learn about topics including:
- Thoughts on decolonizing heritage
- Creating Visibility in Woodworking
- The Legend of Deer Lake and Indigenous histories of Burnaby
- Traditional, Ancestral & Unceded: A Conversation on Territorial Acknowledgements
- Are we really changing? Reflections on Reconciliation
- Weaving and Learning through Art
Residents can also join a virtual tour with Lory Snyder, a Métis herbalist and educator, through Central Park to learn more about how Indigenous peoples have used wild plants for numerous years as food and medicine.
"The City of Burnaby is grateful for the opportunity to learn from our Indigenous partners as we strive to acknowledge and correct past wrongs and build a more inclusive society in the spirit of truth and reconciliation," the release says.
Also on June 21, residents can watch performances on the City of Burnaby Facebook page, which will include the Tsleil-Waututh Nation sharing the traditional singing and dance group The Children of Takaya at 11 a.m.
At 7 p.m., Tsatu Stuqayu (Coastal Wolfpack) will also do a performance.
