Saint John marks National Indigenous Peoples Day

National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations took place at Place Fort La Tour in Saint John Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic)

Celebrations across the Maritimes took place Saturday to mark National Indigenous People Day.

In Saint John, or its traditional name Menahqesk, a vibrant celebration was held by Place Fort La Tour at the mouth of the Saint John (Wolastoq) River. The community event featured traditional drum songs, powwow dancer exhibitions, and even offered chances for everyone to join in on the dancing fun.

Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom Paul, the CEO of Double Curve Media, said the event offered a chance to share his culture as Wabanaki Confederacy alumni.

“If you invite people in a good way they resonate with what you’re trying to do,” Paul said when asked about the large turnout and participation in inter-tribal and social dances. “I feel like if you take the time to explain things to people and really make it open and accessible, people will participate.”

The celebrations held from coast to coast to coast are an integral way to share with the public the culture of Indigenous peoples, Paul said, especially when they have a chance to join in on the fun.

He hopes people who attended any events held in the region think about the First Nations communities around them. He points out there are more than 300 different nations across Canada.

“They all have their own culture with their own food, their own music, their own way of being, their own ways of dancing,” said Paul. “It’s important for people to reach out to their communities around them to really understand who their neighbors are.”

Paul also said it’s important to recognize Indigenous peoples come from all different backgrounds, pointing out that he is a Wolastoqey man and his people come from the Saint John (Wolastoq) River.

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