Surrey’s celebration to recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day is returning to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
The event, set for June 21 from 3 to 8 p.m., will be hosted by the Semiahmoo, Kwantlen, and Katzie First Nations in the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre.
Mayor Brenda Locke said, in a press release issued June 6, she was “excited” to welcome people to the event once again and she was looking forward to celebrating with everyone.
“This event is a special opportunity for us to come together and honour the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Indigenous Peoples, both past and present,” she said in the release. “It's a chance for us to learn, grow, and build stronger relationships with our Indigenous communities, and to show our respect for the ancestral territories of the Coast Salish Peoples.”
Locke said she was “grateful” for the leadership of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, and Kwantlen First Nations in hosting the Surrey event.
“O Siam e Nes Chalacha Siam. The National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration and Wellness Event is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the diverse Indigenous cultures of these lands,” Harley Chappell, elected Chief of Semiahmoo First Nation, said in the release. “We also want to acknowledge the supporting pillars of this event: Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association and City of Surrey.”
According to the release, the celebration is an opportunity “to honour and share in the cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples, both past and present.”
Surrey’s event will feature several First Nations artists and dancers including XiQuelem, (Eugene Harry), Salish Thunderbird (Xwelmexw Shxwexwos), Inuit Throat Singing by PIQSIQ, Nadine Gagné, Notorious Cree, Candace “Brown Bear Woman” Hill Trevena, Stars of the North Drum Group, (LaDonna Wiks-Joseph name by Wata), and others.
There will also be free shuttle service from King George SkyTrain Station to and from the Fairgrounds. Service will begin at 2 p.m. and will run non-stop to the amphitheatre.
Event schedule:
3:00 p.m. - Roots of Skate Sharing
4:30 p.m. - First Nations Welcome
4:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Cultural Sharing
5 - 7 p.m. - Community Kitchen
7:30 p.m. - Notorious Cree
7:30 - 8 p.m. - Closing Ceremony
For more info, visit surrey.ca/IndigenousPeoplesDay.
The Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre is located in Cloverdale at 17728 64th Avenue.
