River Mill Park comes to life with National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration

By Danielle McPherson

Last night River Mill Park in Huntsville was filled with music, vendors, and resources for National Indigenous Peoples Day.

With some people wearing the colour orange, traditional ribbon skirts, and/or sashes, the event was alive with colours, including the Huntsville OPPs newly decorated cruiser, known as the OPP Truth and Reconciliation vehicle.

Police Officer Ted Warman was at the event yesterday with the cruiser passing out information cards about it.

The cruiser was decorated by Nadia McLaren who is an Anishinaabe Artist, storyteller, and educator. From the door, the number 21-215 representing the year (2021) when 215 Indigenous children’s remains were found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, to feathers representing the path of life, truth, and presence of the Creator’s spirit—all of the elements by McLaren tie to a former piece of art, known as the Adizokan, which was given to the OPP Indigenous Policing Bureau (IBP).

Creating connections with both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is needed and encouraged, according to Cassie Morrin, a member of the Muskoka Indigenous Friendship Circle Centre in Huntsville. She was a vendor at last night’s event, “It is important we need our own space to come out, be ourselves and feel safe, even better if we can include the whole community, both indigenous and non-indigenous.”

Patricia Graham, who is part of the Métis Nation of Ontario, was happy about the number of people at the event, “It’s really humbling, it’s good to see the turnout so far and we’re just really honoured to be a part of it.”

Across the road from River Mill Park in the Huntsville Festival of the Arts studio, a display of handmade ribbon skirts was hanging inside. Connie Collins, a fashion teacher from Huron Heights Secondary School in Kitchener-Waterloo, was very proud to stand by the studio, greeting guests and showing off her students’ work.

In February 2023, life-long friend Joyce Crone, president of the Hope Arises Project Inc., reached out to Collins asking if her Grade 11 fashion students could create ribbon skirts as a class project. Collins said after thinking it over she believed her students were up for the challenge, and from there the project flourished into something much bigger than the classroom walls. Her students became very passionate about the ribbon skirt project that was known as Sacred Strength: Indigenous Ribbon Skirts exhibit presented by Hope Arises Project Inc. “I can’t believe the life it has. It has gone from a sewing project in a fashion class to something that my students have said is the most profound high-school project they’ve ever undertaken. It has taken wings and legs, it’s gone further than I could ever imagine,” said Collins.

Collins added that her students wanted the skirts to be perfect with lots of research and work going into the skirts as they are to be given as gifts later on.

Every year on June 21st as a country, Canadians recognize and honour the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada. Yesterday, Huntsville was but one of the many celebrations happening across the country in honour of the day.