National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration brings community together at Royal Roads University

History was shared through teachings about canoe protocol, a practice rooted in respect and relationship-building that continues to guide how Indigenous Nations welcome guests today.

National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations brought families, elders and visitors together at Royal Roads University to share ceremony, storytelling and hands-on learning rooted in Indigenous knowledge and community connection.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is recognized on June 21 across the country.

Held on the traditional lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking Peoples, including the Songhees Nation and the Esquimalt Nation, the gathering focused on canoe protocol, cultural teachings and creating space for intergenerational learning.

Organizers said the day is about more than celebration, emphasizing education, visibility and relationship-building through Indigenous knowledge shared directly with students, families and the wider community.

“It’s about coming together in a good way, seeing family and friends, and also making new connections,” said Diane Sam, Indigenous cultural liaison with Royal Roads University.

That history was shared through teachings about canoe protocol, a practice rooted in respect and relationship-building that continues to guide how Indigenous nations welcome guests along the coast today.

“Historically in the greater Victoria Harbor a lot of our guests from further up north, we would have paddlers come in and we would never know the intention, if they were coming in for battle or if they’re coming in to barter and trade or visit. Rock Bay is one space that we would have our guests visit and camp,” Sam said.

Participants described canoe protocol as both ceremonial and practical, a living system of governance and hospitality that predates colonial settlement and continues to shape coastal relationships between First Nations and communities.

Cheryl Isbister, with the Métis Nations of Greater Victoria, shared teachings from her family’s history, including seasonal buffalo harvesting.

“We worked together as a whole family,” she said. “We followed the buffalo, and everything we did was about making sure the community was cared for through the winter.”

Throughout the gathering, children and youth moved between beadwork stations, storytelling circles and cultural teachings, engaging directly with knowledge-keepers and elders sharing lived experience and tradition.

Attendees also described the day as part of a broader commitment to reconciliation through action.

“It’s important for people to come out, listen and learn,” said Ryan Painter, a local attendee. “This is about recognizing Indigenous communities and the role they continue to play.”

Before the event concluded, Sam reflected on reconciliation and the emotional weight it can carry for many elders and knowledge-keepers.

“We all know that, historically, reconciliation is not an easy topic for our elders; this is a good way of opening up the door and recognizing for our young adults and our students that this is a safe place,” she said.

By the end of the day, the event had become less a single celebration and more a series of shared moments, stories passed on, knowledge exchanged and connections strengthened across generations.