Indigenous Peoples Month is an opportunity to learn, reflect on and celebrate First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples across Toronto and all of Turtle Island.
The City of Toronto is proud to acknowledge and celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Month with Mayor Olivia Chow’s proclaiming June as Indigenous Peoples Month in Toronto. The City will also offer many events, moments of gathering and teachings for residents and visitors alike as outlined on the City’s website.
Indigenous Arts Festival and Na-Me-Res Pow Wow
This annual free, family-friendly event will showcase the rich traditions and contemporary talents of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples from across Turtle Island on Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21 on Garrison Common at Fort York.
Alongside music, dancing, storytelling and film screenings are an Indigenous marketplace and food stalls, offering authentic handmade crafts, artwork and delicious cuisine. This year’s theme is Mino Bimaadiziwin (A Good Life). Highlights include:
Friday, June 20:
Saturday, June 21
This festival was founded in partnership with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Na Me Res and funded by the Government of Canada with media partners ELMNT Radio, Toronto Star and NOW Toronto. More information is available on the City’s Indigenous Arts Festival website: toronto.ca/IAF.
Sunrise Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square
To mark National Indigenous Peoples Day, the City will host a Sunrise Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday, June 21 at 5:30 a.m. All Torontonians are welcome to attend this sacred ceremony to offer prayers and give thanks for all of creation and Mino Baamodziwin (The Good Life). Learn more about the sacred ceremony on the City’s website.
Spirit Garden
The Spirit Garden opened in 2024 and is designed to foster teaching, learning, sharing and healing for Indigenous communities and all who visit. It incorporates elements that represent First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures such as a Turtle Sculpture, Inukshuk, Spirit Canoe, a Three Sisters seasonal garden and a Two Row Wampum walkway.
The City encourages everyone to experience the Spirit Garden at Nathan Phillips Square immediately following the Sunrise Ceremony and feast or any time during the year. Learn more about the Spirit Garden on the City’s website.
Toronto History Museums:
ReDress at Scarborough Museum is a multimedia work/painting/installation that invokes and provokes thinking about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2Spirit people. Colborne Lodge and First Story Toronto will be offering a guided tour of the place now known as High Park by Indigenous storytellers. Limited space available.
Toronto Public Library:
Toronto Public Library hosts Indigenous initiatives through the month featuring storytelling and artist talks, music, film screenings and puppet shows.
Dr. Lillian McGregor Park:
Dr. Lillian McGregor park opened in 2023 and was designed to honour the heritage of nurse and community leader Dr. Lillian McGregor of Whitefish River First Nation, admired for her work promoting Indigenous culture and education.
Learn more about additional City of Toronto Indigenous programming on the City’s Indigenous Events, Commemorations & Awards webpage.
Quotes:
“I am proud to proclaim June as Indigenous Peoples Month in Toronto and to have the City work continually throughout the year with Indigenous individuals, organizations and communities, guided by the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan. I encourage Torontonians to honour and celebrate Indigenous arts and culture this month by attending events like the Na-Me-Res Pow Wow and Indigenous Arts Festival.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“Indigenous Peoples are the first to make Tkaronto, the land now known as Toronto, their home. We honour our relationships with Indigenous partners and our obligations to Indigenous Torontonians, recognizing centuries of their stewardship on this land. This month, I am joining the City of Toronto in expressing gratitude for the knowledge and contributions of Indigenous Peoples. This is a time for learning, and a time for celebration.”
– Councillor Alejandra Bravo (Davenport), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.