Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) says it is embracing a new way of celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) on June 21 by focusing on community engagement while continuing to place a strong emphasis on entertaining programming.
Bringing celebrations from indigenous communities across the country into the homes of Canadians, APTN plans to send members of its APTN National News team far and wide to report live on events aimed at elevating and celebrating indigenous voices, stories and cultures, an APTN press release says.
Audiences will be able to tune in throughout the day to see celebrations such as the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival in Ottawa, the Freedom Day March in Sipekne’katik, N.S., TOOT AASAAMB in Winnipeg, and other indigenous-focused community events in Montreal, Selkirk, Man., Whitehorse, and New Westminster, B.C.
Placing special emphasis on community engagement, APTN’s new broadcast format for NIPD gives communities in different territories a platform to share their traditions and promote unity and inclusivity nationwide, APTN says. It also focuses on the inclusion of different languages.
“As a Franco-Manitoban who is Métis, celebrating my culture in French is quite a unique experience, one that is specific to our community. To know that all of Canada is going to get a glimpse of our little French Métis community means a lot,” Barney Morin, indigenous initiatives coordinator of Festival du Voyageur Inc. and host of TOOT AASAAMB, said in a statement.
Acting Good’s Roger Laughingstick, portrayed by actor Billy Merasty, will host APTN’s day of special programming, including an Acting Good marathon.
In addition, Best of Indigenous Day Live and Le Grand Solstice 2024 will showcase the incredible indigenous music scene that exists across Turtle Island, and there will also be special programming from APTN Investigates.
“NIPD is a day to celebrate the positive and inspirational contributions of Indigenous Peoples. By showcasing the best we have in comedy, music, and professional achievement, and by bringing our teams out into communities, APTN will reflect what it means to be Indigenous in 2024,” Adam Garnet Jones, APTN’s director of TV content and special events, said in a press release earlier this month. “While each community has a unique way of celebrating, we also want to demonstrate that there are threads of commonality that bring us all together.”
NIPD special programming will be broadcast on all APTN channels and will be livestreamed. Viewers can visit aptntv.ca/NIPD for the full program schedule and to watch the livestream.
National Indigenous Peoples Day artwork borrowed from APTN’s website
