St. John’s city council has decided to discontinue the celebration of St. John’s Days in favour of recognizing National Indigenous Peoples Day, which falls on June 21.
Council announced the move today, encouraging residents to take the opportunity to celebrate the rich and diverse histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In a statement, council says St. John’s days—which had been celebrated in late June—was closely associated with John Cabot’s landing in 1497, and often coincided with the provincial holiday formerly known as ‘Discovery Day.’
Council voted in 2018 to no longer recognize that holiday as ‘Discovery Day,’ which was followed last year by the provincial government.
“Changing the name of the holiday formerly known as ‘Discovery Day’ was an important step in the process of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in the province. In particular, it helps to advance ‘Call to Action 47’ of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which calls on all levels of government to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery – a concept that has been used to justify centuries of colonial violence, including the residential school system.“
-Excerpt from council’s statement.
While St. John’s Days had grown into a celebration of the diverse residents of the city, council says it recognizes the contradiction of holding such celebrations on a colonial holiday.
St. John’s Days will be discontinued going forward, and council says the city is developing alternative celebrations for the communities that call the capital city their home.
This year, the June holiday and National Indigenous Peoples Day both fall on June 21.
First Light is hosting a number of events from June 18 until June 25 in recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day.
We welcome this significant step by the @CityofStJohns to decolonize public spaces and celebrate the urban Indigenous community during #IndigenousHistoryMonth.
Learn how you can join us in marking #NIPD2021 by visiting us at https://t.co/iiCd6QPd5B. https://t.co/KTknPksOTo
— First Light (@FirstLight_NL) June 14, 2021
