As we enter the summer, we reach the longest day of the year on Friday June 21st. This day is significant as many Indigenous groups celebrate their culture and heritage on the summer solstice.
I therefore ask you to join me in marking National Indigenous Peoples Day on Friday and taking part in celebrations hosted by and with First Nations in the region CNC serves.
This day provides an opportunity to celebrate rich and diverse cultural expressions and stories of Indigenous peoples. We are doing more across the College to reflect Indigenous voices and ways of knowing and being in the classroom and as part of the student experience overall. Doing so in a meaningful way requires humility and greater cultural awareness on behalf of all of us in the CNC community.
Our journeys toward truth and reconciliation as individuals and as part of groups can be more fruitful and meaningful when we take time to better understand First Peoples’ cultural traditions. It’s a journey that I take very seriously, and that the College will be increasingly taking as we implement our We Change Ourselves Indigenous Education Plan.
I will find time to spend at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park in Prince George on Friday, and I know members of the CNC community will join celebrations with First Nations across the region with display tables or as guests at community celebrations. I encourage you to take part, and hope you find the experience inspiring and informative.