Indspire Awards:Celebrating Indigenous Achievement

Canada’s National Indigenous Peoples Day, formerly called National Aboriginal Day, is held annually on June 21 to celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding achievements of the nation’s Aboriginal peoples.  www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/national-aboriginal-day

The 2020 Indspire Awards ceremony, filmed earlier in Ottawa at the Ontario National Arts Centre will be broadcast on APTN, CBC, CBC Radio, and CBC GEM on Sunday, June 21, 2020, at 8:00 pm / 8:30 pm NT. Celebrating its 27th year, the Indspire Awards continues to bestow the highest honour on Indigenous Peoples. Over the years, 373 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis have been recognized for their outstanding achievements.

Eleven awards of the 2020 recipients have made significant contributions in the fields of education, art, culture, business, health, law, sports, and public service within Canadian society. These honourees exemplify Indigenous excellence. Their personal stories and careers inspire, uplift, and educate us about the tremendous contributions Indigenous people make to our country.

Three Youth Award winners are also being honoured for their accomplishments, serving as role models to other First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth in their communities and across Canada. 

Jeanette Corbiere is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. For more than fifty years, she has championed causes that have resonated across Canada and beyond.  She lost her Indigenous status according to Section 12 of the Indian Act when she married her non-Indigenous husband in 1970.  She challenged this decision at the Supreme Court of Canada in 1973 under the reasoning that it discriminated by gender.  Although unsuccessful, her action led the way for subsequent challenges and was finally overturned in 1985.

“In all they do, these individuals are deeply inspirational, and as leaders in their respective fields, they are motivating young Indigenous people to strive for success.” Roberta Jamieson, President, and CEO of Indspire and Executive Producer of the Indspire Awards. 

From past experience, Sunday’s programming promises to be a celebration of culture showcasing the diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada including performances by Canada’s biggest names in Indigenous entertainment.

Each of us has the opportunity to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day by tuning in to the 2020 Indspire Awards (APTN, CBC, CBC Radio and CBC GEM). We will witness the superb contributions that Indigenous people are making across our country. https://indspire.ca/events/indspire-awards

- Submitted by Sister Nancy Wales, csj

National Aboriginal Day

As I begin to write this blog, I find it is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since I stood chatting with former National Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (1985-1991), George Erasmas, in the staff room of St. Patrick’s High School in Yellowknife. Our conversation centred around the upcoming initial celebration of National Aboriginal Day. Rather a bit naive but none the less curious I questioned him as to the choice of June 21^st. He gently provided me its background. The 21 June was chosen for many reasons-including its cultural significance as the Summer solstice, and the fact that it is a day on which many Aboriginal groups traditionally celebrate their heritage.

National Aboriginal Day was announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, National Aboriginal Day was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups including more formally in 1995, within the recommendations of Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

The Northwest Territories is the first and only jurisdiction in Canada that recognizes National Aboriginal Day as a statutory holiday. The National Aboriginal Day Act, was passed by the 14th Assembly in November 2001. Events are organized across the country and in NWT communities to showcasing the Aboriginal culture through drum dances, traditional games, traditional foods, music and artwork.

Check local media sources or the Internet for events in your local area.

What Amazing TV!

Closely aligned with the spirit of National Aboriginal Day celebrations are the Indspire Awards televised on APTN or Global TV at 7:30 PM EDT on Friday, June 24^th. I encourage you to set time aside to tune in. As past award nights have shown you will certainly experience an evening of culture and celebration surrounding the stories of fourteen outstanding Indigenous achievers are told.

The Indspire website summarizes the evening as: “Each year 14 recipients are recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in various disciplines ranging from health, law, political science, culture, arts, and others, two of which are specific recognition to one outstanding youth achiever and one lifetime achievement recipient. The awards are recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the highest honours the community can bestow upon its own achievers.”

Indspire Awards

APTN or Global TV at 7:30 PM EDT on Friday, June 24^th

Nancy Wales CSJ