Tag Archives: indigenous peoples day

Kitchener’s Willow River Centre celebrates National Indigenous Month and calls for more substantial action

The Willow River Centre in Kitchener is advocating for more meaningful support for Indigenous people and culture instead of what they characterize as routine performative gestures from municipalities and organizations.

The Center, which serves Indigenous, racialized, Two Spirit, and LGBTQ youth, is hosting Summer Solstice Saturday on June 22nd to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Month. The Willow River Centre co-directors Amy Smoke and Bangishimo said that their past efforts on the day have often resulted in overwork and stress.

“It’s been so many years now since the TRC calls to actions came out and still to this day for a lot of organizations and spaces, we’re still considering an afterthought where, where we get emails like the week of before June and these organizations and corporations are looking for somebody to sing and dance for them,” Bangishimo told CKMS News.

The Summer Solstice Saturday will be held on Saturday, June 22nd at the Kitchener Farmer’s Market from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

CKMS News – “Love, Lax, and Land Back” an interview on the Indigenous Solidarity Day Unity Jam in Waterloo Park.

With the tagline “Love, Lax, and Land Back”, a Solidarity Day Unity Jam and Lacrosse game will take place in Waterloo park on June 21st. Taking place on the summer solstice and National Indigenous Solidarity Day, this free event seeks to celebrate solidarity and unity in honouring the Grand River, upholding Haudenosaunee rights and land stewardship in the Haldimand Tract, in which Waterloo Region was built.

This show features an interview with Protect The Tract organiser Courtney Skye. We spoke about the June 21st Solidarity Day Unity Jam and Lacrosse Game in Waterloo Park, the work of Protect The Tract, and the importance of honouring the treaty relationships which were a basis of sharing the land between settlers, the Haudenosaunee, and other Indigenous nations.

The free event has been put together in partnership with The Longhouse Hub, CAFKA, and O:se Kenhionhata:tie (also known as Land Back Camp), and features a friendly lacrosse game at 10am and musical performances and the Bead-The-Tract collaborative art and education project going from noon until 4pm.

For more info on Protect the Tract visit protectthetract.com, or find them on social media at @ProtectTheTract

This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news, and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

Headlines: Tenants Organising, C-22 finalizing, Solidarity Day Unity Jam, and worst air quality in a decade.

Headlines for Saturday June 17th, 2023 from host dan kellar:

1 – Tenant Union pushes back against “high-pressure” landlord.
The recently launched ACORN Tenant Union of Waterloo Region is organising a demonstration targeting a landlord whom tenants say is trying to renovict all the residents in two buildings who are paying less than market rates.

2 – The Canadian Disability Act finally heading for final approval in the Senate
Disabled folks in Canada may soon receive a bit more support due to the impending approval of Bill C-22.

3 – Indigenous Solidarity Day Unity Jam in Waterloo Park.
With the tag line “Love, Lax, and Land Back”, a Solidarity Day Unity Jam and Lacrosse game, hosted by Protect the Tract, will take place in Waterloo park on June 21st.

4 – Forest fires push Waterloo Region’s air quality to the most dangerous levels in a decade.
Last week’s combination of the smoke from climate change fueled forest fires and a low pressure system off the east coast, led to Waterloo Region suffering its worst air quality levels in at least a decade


This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca