At 7:30 a.m. on June 21, as the first golden light spills over the Don River, Grandmother Kim Wheatley of Curve Lake First Nation will welcome Grandfather Sun with a prayer at Biidaasige Park in Toronto’s Port Lands. The sunrise ceremony, centered around a Sacred Fire and the four sacred medicines, marks National Indigenous Peoples Day — a moment of spiritual renewal and cultural celebration in the heart of the city. This intimate gathering is the quiet, powerful counterpart to the vibrant Indigenous Arts Festival held the day before, where music, dance, and storytelling pulsed through the summer air. Together, these free events offer Torontonians a rare opportunity to engage with living Indigenous traditions, not as distant exhibits, but as dynamic, contemporary expressions of resilience and joy.
Held on June 20, the Indigenous Arts Festival transformed Biidaasige Park into a cultural hub, drawing crowds with performances by some of the most celebrated voices in Indigenous music. Headlined by Inuk powerhouse Susan Aglukark — a four-time Juno winner and Order of Canada recipient — the festival also featured Juno Award-winning musician Derek Miller, soulful songstress Lacey Hill, and the Anishnaabe women’s vocal group Manitou Mkwa Singers, who brought harmonies rooted in tradition and uplifted by modern spirit. The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Youth Empowerment Group added a powerful note of intergenerational continuity, reminding all that culture is carried forward by the young as much as the wise.
Beyond the stage, the festival offered hands-on learning: Inuit drum dancing with Alexandra Anaviapik, hoop dancing with Nikki Shawana, and lacrosse demonstrations led by legends Cam Bomberry and Leon Henhawk. Santee Smith, a renowned Kahnyen’kehàka artist, guided participants through a pow wow boot camp, while the Tkaronto Métis Jiggers lit up the afternoon with Métis jigging and fiddle music. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the park buzzed with connection, curiosity, and community — all made possible through a partnership with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, funding from the federal government, and support from CIBC Indigenous Banking, Toronto Star, and NOW Toronto.
The sunrise ceremony on Sunday, led by Grandmother Kim Wheatley, Elder Pat Floody, and Fire Keeper Raiden Levesque, grounds the weekend in reverence. With strawberries offered as a symbol of life’s sweetness and water honored as a sacred relative, the event embodies Mino Baamodziwin — “The Good Life” — a philosophy of balance, gratitude, and kinship. As attendees share a simple breakfast, the morning becomes a quiet act of healing and belonging.
Biidaasige Park, whose name means “it is flowering” in Anishinaabemowin, stands as a living testament to reclamation and renewal. These events are not just celebrations — they are invitations to witness, listen, and walk forward together.