Honouring the Contributions of Indigenous Individuals
I offer you an excellent way for keeping the spirit of June 21st alive. National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day for Canadians from coast to coast to coast to celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada. I encourage you to set time aside this Sunday, June 23rd, to tune into the airing of the 2019 INDSPIRE AWARDS [i]. The awards will broadcast nationwide on June 23, 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC, CBC Radio One and CBC Gem.
These awards celebrate exceptional First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals. This Award Presentation highlights the significant contributions made by Indigenous people in Canada.
These awards recognize: an outstanding Indigenous person with a lifetime achievement award, three youth, First Nations, Inuit, and Metis respectively, plus seven other individuals from various fields including the Arts, Culture, Heritage and Spirituality, and Sports. This televised event allows viewers the opportunity to witness the wonderful gifts and skills Indigenous individuals contributed in Canadian society.
The 2019 Indspire Awards recipients are:
- Lifetime Achievement: Atuat Akittirq, Aggu, Nvt.
- Arts: Barbara Todd Hager, St. Paul des Métis Settlement, Alta.
- Business & Commerce: Grand Chief Ron Derrickson, Westbank First Nation, B.C.
- Culture, Heritage & Spirituality: Jijuu Mary Snowshoe, Gwich'in Nation, N.W.T.
- Education: Dr. Vianne Timmons, Mi'kmaq, N.S.
- Health: Dr. Marlyn Cook, Misipawistik Cree Nation, Man.
- Law & Justice: Dianne Corbiere, M'Chigeeng First Nation, Ont.
- Public Service: Peter Dinsdale, Curve Lake First Nation, Ont.
- Sports: Brigette Lacquette, Mallard, Man. and Cote First Nation, Sask.
- Youth – First Nation: Billy-Ray Belcourt, Driftpile Cree Nation, Alta.
- Youth – Inuit: Kelly Fraser, Sanikiluaq, Nvt.
- Youth – Métis: James Lavallée, Métis Homeland (St. Vital, St. Boniface, Bissett), Man.
Interspersed among the videos highlighting the achievements of award recipients and the award presentations there are featured special performances by Indigenous talent from across Canada including classically trained operatic tenor and composer Jeremy Dutcher, traditional Grass Dancer and drummer Spirit Eagle, and Pow-Wow group Northern Cree Singers.
The list of this year’s showcase of performers includes:
· Musician Pat Vegas (Redbone)
· R&B/hip-hop artist PJ Vegas
· Pow-Wow group Northern Cree Singers
· Choreographer Christine Friday
· Classically trained operatic tenor and composer Jeremy Dutcher
· Singer-songwriter and rapper Joey Stylez
· Singer-songwriter and guitarist Derek Miller
· Traditional Grass Dancer and drummer Spirit Eagle
· Singer Carsen Gray
· Singer-songwriter and bass player Shakti Hayes
· Singer-songwriter Beatrice Love
· Electro-pop performer and composer Wolf Saga
Please join me in watching the Indspire Awards Presentation. As an annual member of the TV audience I always come away enriched by witnessing this stellar evening’s show.
[i] https://www.cbc.ca/indspire/how-to-watch-the-2019-indspire-awards-on-cbc-1.5154913
- Sister Nancy Wales, csj
Indspire is an Indigenous-led national charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire invests in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students so they will achieve their highest potential. In 2017-18 Indspire awarded $14.2 million through almost 4,900 scholarships and bursaries to Indigenous students across Canada.