In Canada, the month of June is National Indigenous History Month (NIHM) with National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21st. It is a time to reflect, celebrate Indigenous Peoples, and take action by engaging with teachings about the impact’s colonialism and how one can actively support the reconciliation of Indigenous voices, cultures, and histories.
For 2024, the weekly themes are:
- June 1 to 9: Environment, traditional knowledge and territory
- June 10 to 16: Children and youth
- June 17 to 23: Languages, cultures and arts
- June 24 to 30: Women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people
This website has learnings to accompany each theme.
To amplify Indigenous voices and support the learning of our WHRI community, and to build on our initial 2023 list, we have created a list of events and resources for research teams.
Get Involved this June
- The University of British Columbia’s Indigenous Research Support Initiative
- First Nations Health Authority Information Booklet: Territory Acknowledgements
- Learn about Indigenous midwifery in Canada
- National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health
- Vancouver Public Library’s Indigenous Peoples in Canada
- UBC Office of Indigenous Education – Musqueam Community
- Voices from the Field podcast series
- Michael Smith Health Research BC – Rooted in relationships: Lessons learned from Indigenous health researcher and community members
The Provincial Health Services Authority also has an extensive list of resources available to staff via the intranet. Please check them out.
As members of the research community who are working towards decolonizing research practices, we can reflect on the Principles of Engagement outlined by the Indigenous Research Support Initiative:
- Community-led
- Reciprocal
- Cultural humility & respect
- Adaptability
- Unlearning and relearning
- Accountability
- Reconciliation
As National Indigenous History Month continues throughout the month of June, take time to reflect on these resources to deepen your understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories, and stories.