Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day 2025

Since 1996, June 21 has been designated as a day to honour the cultures, traditions, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. 

June 21 also marks the Summer Solstice, and is a symbolic day for many cultures as a time of renewal and connection, making this the perfect moment to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day.

As Co-chairs of Central HR’s Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) working group, we, along with eight other colleagues in Central HR, have been collaborating with CTLT’s Indigenous Initiatives unit to meaningfully pursue reconciliation and increase our Indigenous awareness in the work we do as HR professionals at UBC.  

Part of our working groups’ focus has been to take a step back from jumping immediately to solutions. Even in crafting this article, we had to resist the temptation to list off achievements and desired next steps. This Indigenous Strategic Plan work, while incredibly consequential, can’t be rushed. As a committed team, we are slowly, methodically, working through the ISP toolkit, which brings us to a place of reflection.  

To honour that approach, and on a day of celebrating the incredible contributions of Indigenous people across Canada, we wanted to share three resources that have resonated with our working group:

• 📰: Time is a Colonial Construct: Larissa Crawford
  • Using Indigenous perspectives to reframe the working day
• 🎵: Wolastoquyik Lintuwakonawa – Jeremy Dutcher
  • Classically-trained singer blends ancient Indigenous songs with modern sounds
• 🎥: The City before the City | Trailer | Full Movie (sign-up required)
  • The story of the Musqueam's 200-day vigil to halt a Vancouver condo development that unearthed ancestral remains. 

We hope these perspectives and well-crafted tales resonate with you as well. At UBC, we are all taking steps to improve our relations with Indigenous communities. If you are looking for additional opportunities to increase your awareness, we encourage you to continue your learning journey by enrolling in the  UBC Indigenous Learning Pathways (ILP) curriculum. This ILP curriculum (which includes an option to watch The City before the City) was developed in partnership with CTLT and Central HR as a welcoming resource that encourages and empowers anyone new to UBC (and existing employees) to incorporate Indigenous knowledges and perspectives into their work.  

Finally, there are various events taking place on June 21 and throughout the month, as we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day and National Indigenous History Month. We encourage you to explore your curiosity and expand your perspectives as you learn more about the rich diversity, history, resilience, and culture of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada. 

Marjorie Lewis, Executive Director, Talent Management and Paul Bharaj, Executive Director, Hiring Solutions | Central HR’s Indigenous Strategic Plan Working Group, Co-chairs.