Mayor Irvine Ferris signed a proclamation yesterday for today's National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Cornell Pashe is the Indigenous community coordinator with Portage Community Revitalization Corporation in Portage and weighs in our community's recognition of the day.

"It's a day where the city will recognize the commemorating the day and signifying what the day is when it comes to national Indigenous Day," says Pashe. "So, there will be a lot of events happening throughout Portage. We have our walk from the Portage Friendship Centre over to Portage Collegiate where we'll be raising the Treaty One flag, the Dakota flag the Métis flag and Every Child Matters flag. There'll be a student each raising a flag."

He says they will then go to Red River College to construct a teepee and another teepee at the Fort la Reine Museum.

"Southern Chiefs are over at Four Winds Cultural Centre, and there's a walk happening from La Verendrye School over to ROK over at ROK (Recreation Opportunities for Kids) Central," continues Pashe. 

Mayor Irvine Ferris adds it's extremely important to recognize and acknowledge all the contributions that Indigenous people have made to the building of our community.

"There is arts, culture, music, and politics since the beginning of Portage, really," notes Ferris. "It's really important to recognize this and celebrate this on this important day."

Related Stories