Every year on June 21, people gather across the country to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, with ceremonies, music, dancing, and food. The day honours the culture and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

Indigenous communities host events showcasing traditional practices and stories passed down from one generation to the next, and the day is a chance for people to see what it’s like in Indigenous communities, said Kailen Gingell, the cultural director at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse. While other memorial days centred on Indigenous people, such as Red Dress Day and Orange Shirt Day, focus on the losses the community has experienced, Indigenous Peoples Day focuses on joy and “what makes everything great,” he said.