About National Aboriginal Day
The 21st of June has always marked a significant time, when Aboriginal People across Canada have traditionally gathered and celebrated the Summer Solstice. In 1996 the day was officially declared “National Aboriginal Day” (NAD). On June 4, 2009, the month of June was officially declared National Aboriginal History Month, with unanimous support, in order to “recognize the enormous contributions that First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have made to Canada.” Declaring June National Aboriginal History Month “is one small step,” said NDP MP Jean Crowder, who introduced the motion. “Many communities already celebrate National Aboriginal Day on June 21st,” said Crowder. “Now I hope they plan more events to celebrate the history of Aboriginal peoples in their area and across Canada.”
For the past fourteen years, NAD events in the National Capital Region have created an opportunity for all residents to celebrate the culture and contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. In 2008, our event expanded into a three day event “Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival,” a new family-oriented multi-disciplinary arts festival that increased both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal audience participation. For our fifteenth annual celebration, 2011, the NAD committee of Ottawa will celebrate National Aboriginal History Month, for the first time, with 21 days of artistic programming in the National Capital Region. We are also celebrating a move to a much larger and more prominent venue – LeBreton Flats, next to the Canadian War Museum, allowing us enough space to host our first International Competition Powwow.
The Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival is one of the few Aboriginal Arts Events that truly represents the cultural diversity of our urban Aboriginal community, with full participation of First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists. This diversity within our own cultures is reflected in all elements of the event, from leadership (National Aboriginal Day Committee of National Aboriginal Organizations), to the selection of artists, representing each of the Aboriginal communities. Each year, we showcase at least one headline act from Métis, Inuit and First Nations communities and ensure that cultural workshop leaders and artists also reflect this diversity.
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The Committee
The Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival is coordinated under the direction of a National Aboriginal Day (NAD) committee. The committee is a unique collaboration between seven of the primary National Aboriginal organizations based in Ottawa, who represent the true diversity of Aboriginal people from across the National Capital Region – First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Each organizational representative, an Ottawa resident, participates in the planning and execution of the NAD events with monthly meetings to ensure that their community’s distinct cultures are represented in the programming, executive and promotional efforts.
In the past, each committee member and their organization take turns “hosting” the events, including administration and hosting meetings. The committee contracts a coordinator to implement the event on their behalf. For the past five years, our organization Aboriginal Experiences, Arts and Culture have been contracted to both coordinate the event and administer the full budget (it is part of our organization’s annual audited statements). As you can see from the organizational background, our team has extensive and unique talents to implement an Aboriginal event of this scale in the National Capital Region.
A brief synopsis of the organizations and individuals involved in our managing committee include:
Assembly of First Nations (AFN)
www.afn.ca
The Assembly of First Nations is a National Aboriginal advocacy organization and the National representative organization of the First Nations in Canada. There are over 630 First Nation communities in Canada whose interests are represented by the AFN. They are the also the host of the festivities for 2011.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK)
www.itk.ca
ITK is the national Inuit organization in Canada representing four Inuit regions in the Canadian arctic. ITK were the 2010 Hosts.
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP)
www.abo-peoples.org
CAP represents off-reserve First Nation and Métis people, urban, rural and remote. CAP was the 2008 hosts.
National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC)
www.nafc.ca
NAFC acts as a central unifying body for the Friendship Centre movement, representing 114 Friendship Centres across Canada. NAFC were the 2009 event hosts.
Aboriginal Experiences, Arts and Culture
www.aboriginalexperiences.com
AEAC are the contracted event coordinators for the event and follow the direction of our NAD committee to implement a festival that meets our objectives.
