Regina marks National Indigenous Peoples Day with virtual celebration on Louis Riel’s birthday – Globalnews.ca

October 22, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic put June’s usual celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on hold, but Regina wanted to make sure that it happened.

Community leaders, working with the City of Regina, created a virtual event that livestreamed Tuesday to mark the year of the Métis.

While National Indigenous Peoples Day is June 21, Regina cultural diversity and Indigenous relations adviser Brad Bellegarde said organizers opted to plan for something later in the year on the birthday of Métis leader Louis Riel, who was tried and hanged for treason in Regina in 1885 following the collapse of the North-West Resistance.

“We want to celebrate his life,” Bellegarde said, noting Riel, in his fight to have the Canadian officials uphold their promises to his people, had a distinct relationship with this city.

Read More: https://globalnews.ca/news/7414417/regina-national-indigenous-peoples-day-louis-riel/