Friday is the first day of summer and, as every year, National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Cochrane’s Ininew Friendship Centre has a full day of observances planned, starting with a sunrise ceremony at 5:30am at the Commando Pavilion.
Executive director Bernice Brunette says a special guest this year is Rosanne Archibald.
“She is the Ontario regional chief,” she explains. “Cochrane is her home town. Her First Nation is Taykwa Tagamou.”
Brunette is hoping that Chief Archibald can stay around for all the festivities. A full schedule is available here.
As part of the event, the Ininew flag will be raised at Town Hall, and at the Cochrane sign on the way into town will be the colours red, white, yellow and black.
“They’re representative of the medicine wheel,” says Brunette. “ So the medicine wheel teaches us about the four sacred directions and medicines. It’s actually a tool to teach us more and the culture of Indigenous people and how the number four plays a significant role in teaching tools and being in balance.”
Click here for a schedule of events for National Indigenous Peoples Day.