Montreal's free events celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day
Art exhibits, concerts will be held throughout the day
National Indigenous Peoples Day — a day to recognize and celebrate the cultures and achievements of Indigenous people in Canada — will be marked by music, workshops and dancing across Montreal.
Nakuset, the executive director of the Native Women's shelter, organizes a concert in Cabot Square to commemorate the day every year.
She said that this year's celebrations are especially important because the community in Cabot Square has had a particularly challenging year, after the nearby Open Door shelter was forced to move to Parc Avenue last November.
"Indigenous people have always been [in Cabot Square]. It's one of the only places where if you want to see an Indigenous face, you show up," Nakuset said.
"We don't actually have an urban reservation but I always think of that as the place that you go."
The headliner is Corey Diabo, a musician from Kahnawake, who is known for playing guitar in the Montreal band Jonas & The Massive Attraction.
People can also expect to see The Sinquah Family Dance Troupe from Arizona, throat singer Nina Segalowitz, Moe Clark and the Buffalo Hat Singers.
"What we want is to show how amazing our culture is and how varied our culture is," Nakuset said.
If you'd like to kick off your day a little earlier, Indigenous Day celebrations at the Clock Tower in the Old Port will be starting at 10:15 a.m. That event will feature paintings, sculptures, speakers and powwow dancers.
Native Montreal is also hosting a barbecue and concert at Parc Arthur-Therrien in Verdun, with performances, games and workshops.
Indoor events
The McCord Museum will be featuring three Indigenous exhibitions and a film screening, with free entry Friday.
"Art, or contemporary art, it has a very strong way of communicating their point of view, their beliefs, their struggles, their fights," said Guislaine Lemay, interim curator of Indigenous culture at the McCord Museum.
The museum will screen Ishkueu Territory Woman's Territory throughout the day. The film features eight Indigenous women telling their stories.
The exhibitions will run for several months. Among the exhibits is Wearing our identity —The first peoples collection which looks at how Indigenous clothing has been used as both a tool of oppression and resistance.
Montreal's Musée d'art contemporain (MAC) will also be free Friday, and will feature the work of Anishinaabe artist Rebecca Belmore.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from CBC's Daybreak