June is National Indigenous History Month

June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to celebrate First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples and culture, and address what meaningful reconciliation means to each community.

To encourage learning and further Indigenous engagement, the University of Calgary is proud to walk parallel paths together “in a good way” through its Indigenous Strategy, ii' taa'poh'to'p. Launched in 2017, the strategy guides UCalgary on a path toward genuine reconciliation and Indigenization.

To kick off the month-long celebration and reflection, UCalgary and local community partners will be hosting a series of events focused on amplifying Indigenous voices and experiences, increasing intercultural capacity on campus through open discussion and celebration. Registration and volunteer opportunities are now open.

Celebrate with UCalgary

Community Engagement with Indigenous Communities 
June 13

Join us for an overview of community engagement with Indigenous communities. Community cultural protocols, ethics guidelines and the need for collaborative research to support building capacity will be among some of the topics discussed in this interactive series by the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Subscribe to IRST's newsletter to read about Indigenous research, news, events, funding, and other opportunities.

Curator’s Tour: Devotion: Louis Riel Writes Home 
June 13 and June 19

Annie Murray, rare books and special collections librarian, will offer an intimate tour of Devotion: Louis Riel Writes Home, an exhibition featuring selections from Libraries and Cultural Resources’ newly acquired Louis Riel Collection.

Ethics, Risk, and Relationships: Indigenous Research
June 20

This presentation is for those curious about Indigenous research, community engagement, and what it means to conduct ethical research with Indigenous Peoples. In it participants will discuss why Indigenous research is unique, community engagement, including when it should happen and what it looks like, and much more about the Indigenous Research Support Team.

National Indigenous Peoples Day Campfire Chats 
June 21

Indigenous Peoples across Canada have a culturally rich, diverse and immersive history of both traditional and contemporary music. In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the University of Calgary invites you to the 8th annual Campfire Chats: A Celebration of Indigenous Music.

Tour! Indigenous Art in the TFDL 
June 23

Kaia MacLeod, Indigenous cataloguing librarian and a member of the James Smith Cree Nation, will offer an intimate tour of a collection of art by Treaty 7 artists — many of whom have a significant relationship with UCalgary. Installed on each floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library, they enhance awareness of the Indigenous Peoples of Treaty 7, celebrating their creativity and resilience.

Volunteer for Aboriginal Awareness Week Calgary
June 18 to 24

In the 1990s, the Aboriginal Awareness Week Calgary Circle began organizing events and celebrations the week leading up to National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.

Special Nickle at Noon – David Garneau: Riel after Riel 
June 29  

While David Garneau has painted many versions of Louis Riel, dressed as his ghost to confront statues of John A. Macdonald, and designed the Royal Canadian Mint’s Riel commemorative coin, he remains conflicted by his legacy and use. In this talk, Garneau will describe his family's connection to Riel and how he and others have used representations of the Métis leader for their own ends.

David Garneau is Métis and was born and raised in Edmonton. Passionate about visual arts, especially painting, he also creates performances, videos, and public art.  His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the National Gallery of Canada; Canada House, London; the International Symposium on Electronic Arts and is in numerous public and private collections, including Library and Cultural Resources at UCalgary. Garneau’s work was recently featured at Nickle Galleries in the exhibition, Métissage, curated by Mary Beth Laviolette.

In recognition of his career, Garneau was awarded a Governor General's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Art in Canada. A double alumnus of UCalgary, Garneau, BFA'89, MA'93, is a professor and department head, visual arts, University of Saskatchewan.

Books from UCalgary Press to read this month

Dive deeper into Indigenous history and culture in Canada through this list of immersive titles centred on amplifying Indigenous experiences and voices.

• As Long as this Land Shall Last: A History of Treaty 8 and Treaty 11, 1870-1939
• Blackfoot Ways of Knowing: The worldview of the Siksikaitsitapi
• Doing Things the Right Way
• Finding Directions West: Readings that Locate and Dislocate Western Canada’s Past
• The Free People's Li Gens Libres: A History of the Métis Community of Batoche, Saskatchewan
• Many Faces of Gender: Roles and Relationships Through Time in Indigenous Northern Communities
• Muskox Land: Ellesmere Island in the Age of Contact
• Neighbours and Networks: The Blood Tribe in the Southern Alberta Economy, 1884-1939
• Nunavik: Inuit-Controlled Education in Arctic Quebec