Today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada and in Oakville, which is part of Indigenous History Month throughout all of June.
In a special statement today, the town of Oakville said, "Honouring the Truth and Reconciliation process, the town is grateful to all of the Indigenous advisors involved in helping to guide us in the teachings of Indigenous Culture and Community."
Oakville, as we know it today, is rich in the history and modern traditions of many First Nations. From the lands of the Anishinabe, to the Attawandaron and Haudenosaunee, these lands surrounding the Great Lakes are steeped in First Nations history.
As we gather today on the sacred lands of Treaties 14 and 22, we are in solidarity with Indigenous brothers and sisters to honour and respect all our relations, Mother Earth, the original nations of the trees and plants, the four leggeds, the flyers, the finned and the crawlers as the original stewards of Mother Earth.
We acknowledge and give gratitude to the waters as being life and being sacred and to the carriers of those water teachings, the females. We acknowledge and give gratitude for the wisdom of the Grandfathers and the four winds that carry the spirits of our ancestors that walked this land before us.
Oakville Town Hall is located on the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We acknowledge and thank the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Treaty holders, for being stewards of this traditional territory.
Chi Miigwetch
There's lots to do in Oakville for recognizing National Indigenous Peoples Day. You can:
- Learn more about Treaty 22, which encompasses the lands at 12 Mile Creek (Bronte Creek) and 16 Mile Creek in Oakville, and Treaty 14 (Head of the Lake Purchase) through 20 permanent educational signs in prominent Oakville locations including Twelve Mile Creek Lookout, Coronation Park, Gairloch Gardens, Riverview Park and Bronte Beach Park as part of The Debwewin Project.
- Visit Oakville’s first-ever orange crosswalk, which will be installed at the intersection of Thomas and Church streets by the end of June. The crosswalk honours children of the residential school system, and provides the public with not only the opportunity to reflect on generational impact, trauma and oppression endured by Indigenous peoples in Canada, but to also learn more about the treaty lands Oakville resides on, and Indigenous culture.
- Go on the Treaties and Truth Heritage Walk in downtown Oakville on June 25 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The walk begins at the orange crosswalk at Thomas and Church streets.
- Participate in the family-friendly Moccasin Identifier drop-in workshop at the Oakville Museum on June 26 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and learn about the types of moccasins worn by Indigenous people in Ontario.
- Join local Indigenous Knowledge Guides for Power of the Indigenous Voice at the Oakville Museum on June 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for a thoughtful discussion of the resurgence of Indigenous voices, and how to find paths to truth and reconciliation.
- Enjoy a walk along two Moccasin Trails and explore the history of the lands from an Indigenous perspective. Follow one trail along Sixteen Mile Creek Inner Valley to Dundas Street West at Lions Valley or the other trail located along Bronte Creek Heritage Trail near Rebecca and Mississaga streets.
- Visit the Oakville Public Library’s Truth and Reconciliation page for book recommendations and more.
For more reading about Oakville's Indigenous Culture and Community, you can visit the Town of Oakville's webpage here.