Celebrate National Indigenous History Month

Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) will be hosting a series of free virtual workshops celebrating National Indigenous History Month (June 2021) and National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21, 2021), in partnership with Destination BC and sponsored by Daily Hive.

The workshops provide an opportunity for people everywhere to learn about Indigenous cultures, history and tourism in BC; with the workshops being anchored by themes of food and beverage, arts and culture, and wellness.

National Indigenous History Month was introduced in June 2009 as a way to educate, connect and promote reconciliation in Canada.

In 1996, National Indigenous Peoples Day was declared, with the date of June 21 chosen to coincide with the summer solstice and the start of berry-picking and fishing season – both important traditions in Indigenous cultures.

The holidays invite Canadian residents to celebrate local First Nations cultures, while reflecting on the storied history of the country’s Indigenous peoples.

ITBC will facilitate deeper connections between Canadians and Indigenous cultures in BC through a series of virtual workshops that promote support for local businesses, raise awareness of the province’s exceptional Indigenous travel experiences, and highlight the many ways tourism supports revitalization of Indigenous cultures.

Sessions include:

• A Tasting of Indigenous Cultures – Tuesday, June 15 at 2pm PST / 5pm EST with registration available at Eventbrite registration: https://bit.ly/33U30W5
• Celebrating Living Indigenous Arts & Culture – Thursday, June 17 at 2pm PST / 5pm EST; with registration available at Eventbrite registration: https://bit.ly/3eZktmw
• Honouring Wellness – Tuesday, June 22 at 2pm PST / 5pm EST ; register at Eventbrite registration: https://bit.ly/3ft3J5V

Brenda Baptiste, Chair of ITBC, said: “We’re thrilled to host our first-ever virtual workshops in celebration of National Indigenous History Month. We’ve secured a group of exceptional individuals who will share their stories, and we invite participants across BC and abroad to dive deeper into prominent themes of Indigenous cultures. While travel restrictions are in place, we hope these online events will inspire the community to learn now and visit later to support Indigenous businesses and experience our history and traditions firsthand.”

Included on each event page are links to purchase relevant products or reserve future travel experiences relating to each workshop topic, including sage sticks for smudging and pre-made mixes to bake bannock at home.

For more, go to www.indigenousbc.com .