Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day, marking the richness and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis culture.

For generations, Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated on June 21st, or around this time of year, because of the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

Originally termed National Aboriginal Day, it was first announced in 1996 by then-Governor General Roméo LeBlanc. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement renaming it National Indigenous Peoples Day.

It’s also part of the Celebrate Canada program, which also includes Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24, Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27 and Canada Day on July 1.

Events are being held around the province to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, which included sunrise ceremonies this morning in St. John’s and Corner Brook.

Meanwhile, NDP Labrador MHA Lela Evans chose today to note that five years after the release of the report into missing and murdered Indigenous woman, only two of the 231 Calls for Justice have been completed.

“These calls for action clearly outline what Canada must do to end and redress its genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people,” says Evans. “Governments, federal and provincial, cannot continue to talk about reconciliation without admitting that they have failed to live up to their legal obligations outlined in the report.”