'It's so good to be back': In-person Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations mark step toward healing

The return of in-person National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations in Windsor was met with excitement after a two-year pandemic pause.

The Can-Am Urban Native Non-Profit Homes, University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Centre, and Ska:na Family Learning Centre put on an afternoon event at Mic Mac Park featuring entertainment and games for children, as well as a barbecue with frybread tacos.

“It's so good to be back,” exclaimed Eric Hill, chair of the Windsor Indigenous Peoples Day of Solidarity and Celebration.

Hill said the event provided a good chance for Indigenous people in the City of Windsor to reconnect with other people that they may have only seen once a year.

The Can-Am Urban Native Non-Profit Homes, University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Centre, and Ska:na Family Learning Centre held a National Indigenous Peoples Day event at Mic Mac Park on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)“It's just getting that connection back and seeing where everybody is at,” Hill said.

In 2021, the 25th anniversary of National Indigenous Peoples Day was virtual only, when observances took place online across Windsor-Essex.

Hill told CTV News the inability to gather during the pandemic compounded the sadness that came with the discovery of unmarked graves in Canada.

“For some of us, it's only the last generation or maybe two generations ago that we had relatives that were going to residential schools,” Hill said. “And I think people are really taking in the horror of what that was, there's more of an awareness and we just got to keep that, you know, sort of front and center.”

“Just make sure that it doesn't, you know, it's the old thing about not letting it be forgotten.”

The Can-Am Urban Native Non-Profit Homes, University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Centre, and Ska:na Family Learning Centre held a National Indigenous Peoples Day event at Mic Mac Park on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)Kat Pasquach, the Aboriginal outreach and retention coordinator with the University of Windsor said the return of in-person celebrations was empowering.

“I think just in general June 21 is a really important event,” Pasquach said. “It's the summer solstice and an opportunity to really celebrate in culture and pride for Indigenous peoples.”

“Oftentimes, people can come together in times of mourning, and this is one of the times that we can come together in celebration.”

Organizers said celebrations continued to be scaled back due to the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic created in the past.

“There's been a lot of sadness and trauma in our communities,” Pasquach said. “And so to have these moments where we come together, collectively strong and in celebration is really important.” 

The Can-Am Urban Native Non-Profit Homes, University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Centre, and Ska:na Family Learning Centre held a National Indigenous Peoples Day event at Mic Mac Park on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)