National Indigenous People's Day

Master of Ceremonies Colin Bird will open the  2025 National Indigenous Peoples Day at 9:30 am.  Opening activities include a welcome from Rhonda Larrabee, Chief of the Qayqayt First Nation and well as Ruth Weller, Executive Director for Spirit of the Children Society.  Following the welcome the event will be kicked off with a grand entry for the pow wow activities that follows.

Anneliese and Kaimana are from Squamish and Kwakwaka’wakw ancestry. Anneliese only just came in to her Squamish culture 8 years ago, as she was part of the Sixties Scoop and did not grow up with her cultural identity. In April of 2016 she joined the Squamish Ocean Canoe Family and has been active in learning her teachings, protocols, dances, songs, and language ever since. In July of 2016, Anneliese was 9 weeks pregnant with Kaimana on her first Tribal Journey. Kaimana has been immersed in his Squamish culture since before he was born. He has grown up learning songs, dances, and language. He has a strong family behind him that share our teachings and history with him. Kaimana is being raised to be a strong, confident Indigenous man and to walk in a good way and share what he is learning with others in order to continue the process of Truth & Reconciliation with our future generations.

Mohawk rocker turned folk and soul musician Logan Staats began as a diamond in the rough on the streets of Brantford, Ontario. He had no formal musical training, no connections, just a good ear and raw lyrical talent- and always a guitar in hand. He played the local circuit for years before his 2015 debut release ‘Goodbye Goldia’, an unvarnished yet hard hitting solo acoustic album. He went on to win CTV’s ‘The Launch’ in 2018, gaining commercial success and touring across North America and Europe.

But traveling the world can really open your eyes to what's going on right at home, and the fight for indigenous sovereignty has become a focal point for Staats in recent years. It all intermingles with the music; the passion, the rage, the love, and most of all the healing. He's making roadtrippin' music for those traveling 'the red road'; a path towards reconnecting and relearning indigenous ways. “I wanted to bring my songwriting back to the medicine inside of music, to the medicine inside of reclamation,” he says. 

This is the driving philosophy behind his sophomore album ‘A Light In The Attic’, released 2023. These songs are a healing salve, contemplatively composed and offered to listeners in need of comfort. His sound draws heavily from the rich blues and rock legacy of Six Nations. His music has garnered a Juno nomination, multiple Native American Music Awards, and the SOCAN Indigenous Songwriter of the year. Nowadays, he’s cooking up a southern country-flavored third album, and touring the back of Turtle Island and beyond.

Tsatsu Stalqayu translated into English means Coastal Wolf Pack. A traditional Salish song and dance group, the group consists of over 25 male and female members of a single family, from age 6 months to over age 50. Their variation in age and gender allows for more song, dance and stories to be shared on stage and in their presentations. The members of the group with pride represent the  following Coast Salish communities: Musqueam, Squamish, Tsartlip, Nanaimo and more.  This breadth of membership along with the multigenerational performers gives their audiences a sense of belonging to this, the hereditary lands of the Coast Salish people.

 

Jay Genaille is a professional Hoop Dancer, Workshop Facilitator and Speaker. He is Cree, Salteaux and Anishnaabe, born and raised in Calgary, AB with his Ancestral roots originating from Misipawistik Cree Nation, Lake St. Martin First Nation and Cowessess First Nations. Jay first started Hoop Dancing when he was 9 years old and was mentored by a 4x World Champion Hoop Dancer. Some of the most memorable highlights in his career includes attending the World Championship Hoop Dance Competition at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ 3 years in a row and performing in Calgary, AB at the Grandstand show 2 years in a row. Finally, Jay went on to represent the Calgary Stampede at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Over the last few years, he has had the privilege to be invited to many diverse communities throughout North America to share his talents and gifts.

Blues Man Murray Porter’s music career has taken him all over the world for the last 35+ years. He’s a proud Mohawk man from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in southern Ontario, who now lives on Squamish Nation territory in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Murray may have a blues soul to the core, but he also grew up on rock and roll, R & B and country music. Porter’s first CD since his 2012 JUNO Award for ‘Aboriginal Album of the Year’ is titled, “STAND UP!” and reflects these early musical influences. He strongly feels that this next album is some of his best music to date.

His new music is a little bit of protest songs, a little bit of love songs, and a little bit of fun songs. Murray’s well respected in both the Indigenous and Blues music communities. His voice is as smooth as a velvet growl.

The new songs address many issues facing Indigenous People today including: ‘No More’ (Idle No More movement); ‘Highway 16’ (Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women & Girls); ‘Don’t Let Go’ (Suicide prevention); ‘The Water’ (State of the water today in Indigenous communities); ‘In the Same Canoe’ (Unity amongst all People). Plus, in true Murray Porter fashion, he has some tongue-in-cheek songs and heartfelt songs about Love: ‘Please Stay Gone’; ‘Some Day I’ll Never Learn’; ‘Two Hearts One Soul’; ‘Love Will Find a Way’.

Whether he is playing an intimate venue for local blues fans, as a solo, duo, trio or with his four-piece band, or on a festival stage to thousands of music aficionados, Porter’s love of performing comes across clear and strong. He has been compared to Dr. John, Joe Cocker and even Elton John! Robbie Robertson has called Porter “a master bluesman.” He captivates audiences wherever he performs and makes new fans…and they never leave his show disappointed.

I’m a 20 year old Haida and Scottish young lady. About 10 years ago I saw a hoop dancer. She gave me my first three hoops. This started my love for hoop dancing so I started teaching myself. I’m also a jingle dancer which I’ve also taught myself. I’ve been dancing at National Indigenous Peoples Days in Maple Ridge in Langley for several years. I also performed at SD 42 Aboriginal awards and throughout the Lower Mainland. All my regalia is made by my dad and I.

This year the Indigenous market will be the largest yet!  We will have 25 vendors selling artwork and food as well as handcrafts such as beadwork, weavings and jewelry. Please come out and support local indigenous entrepreneurship, heritage and culture.

Water Eater is Spirit of the Children Society’s Canoe.  It was painted by Tlingit artist Ken Anderson. His design concept was based on the name “Water-eater” which is understand to have been a common name for a canoe in the past. The design concept was that the main figure in the front was a female figure that “ate the water” and carried and protected the passengers. The male figures in the back represent the men working while following the lead of the women (also in the boat); a symbolic representation of how the Tlingit clan system follows the mother’s side.

The boat was blessed and a prayer said for it as it had an inaugural journey in Teslin in 2000 or 2001. It was used for a variety of events in the Yukon such as the grand opening of the Teslin Cultural Centre a number of Moosehide gatherings and it completed the Yukon River Quest 4 times to raise funds for diabetes.

Science Al!ve  c/o Simon Fraser University's Faculty of Applied Sciences Outreach team is dedicated to inspiring youth through hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art Design and Mathematics) activities. Our Indigenous Youth in STEM (InSTEM) programs are designed to break down barriers to Inuit, Métis and First Nations youth by creating culturally relevant STEM experiences that build skills and confidence, while recognizing and celebrating their existing cultural knowledge as Indigenous Peoples. 

Our InSTEM team will teach computer science through interactive and age appropriate activities. The first activity will be learning about binary code through beading. Our second activity will explore encryption and decryption where participants will learn how to make strong passwords for digital safety. Lastly, we will have a computer science demonstration that the participants will get to engage with!

Dos Amigos food truck was started by childhood Amigos Dolten & Rionne, After losing their jobs in the Restaurant industry to the pandemic both decided to take their culinary passion to the next level by investing into a food truck.

Both have more than a decade experience and expertise working in the Restaurant industry around the globe. Our focus has always been quality ingredients, friendly service & customer satisfaction.

https://www.dosamigos.ca/ 

https://www.goldenbannock.com/