National Indigenous Peoples Day marked with music, dance and sharing across Manitoba

With summer solstice came a celebration of Indigenous culture Wednesday as National Indigenous Peoples Day was marked by ceremonies and performances across Manitoba. 

Cree, Ojibway, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene, Métis and Inuit call Manitoba home, and Wednesday is a day Canadians are encouraged to celebrate and learn more about the country's first people.

National Indigenous Peoples Day also happens on the longest day of the year, June 21, marking the summer solstice.

In Winnipeg, the sounds of music and powwow rang out at The Forks, Sergeant Tommy Prince Place and the Burton Cummings Community Centre. 

Bev Jones, a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, decided to take part in events at The Forks. 

She says there's still a long way to go in reconciliation, but much has changed in the 43 years since she was taken from her parents.

"My mother lost her status, and so were we apprehended because we weren't allowed to live on the reserve with the rest of our people," she said. 

"And so I've been healing for the last 43 years, on my healing journey. It's part of the healing journey, it's part of reconciliation I guess ... and it's about time."

Up north in Thompson, Man., at least a thousand people gathered at McLean Park to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, organizers said.

Anika Pilling, 13, a member of Sagkeeng First Nation, was there to perform and teach younger children how to hoop dance.

"It's actually a part of my culture and it would mean a lot to me to actually teach others because I've been hoop dancing since I was four," she said.

Pilling says she's proud to be Indigenous, and dances in orange regalia and with orange hoops to recognize her grandfather's experiences at Fort Alexander Residential School.

"My people have actually been treated horribly back then, and it makes me feel really bad, so I decided that I'm going to teach it [hoop dancing] so I can teach others and they can teach other people as well."

Gina Spence, the coordinator for the event with the Thompson Urban Aboriginal Strategy, says it's powerful seeing people sing, drum, dance and speak their traditional languages.