In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day and National Indigenous History Month, a variety of local events are taking place throughout the month of June. These events are open to the general public and are created to learn more about the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Bannock Bites
Head over to Kekuli Café to try their bannock bites, or anything else on the menu. Bannock is a fry bread, popular in Indigenous culture and is often made differently depending on the community.
Public Art Walk
With spectacular art pieces across Westbank, WFN recommends people take a public art tour. The self-guided tour features 14 installations across Westbank that highlight the work of many Indigenous artists. The full tour takes approximately 90 minutes, and is a great way to learn about local indigenous culture and history through artwork.
DOWNTOWN
Art Exhibition
UBC Okanagan Gallery is hosting a special performance and display by Manuel Axel Strain, a two-spirit artist whose work and practice are guided by Indigenous ways of knowing. Strain’s exhibition, titled puti kʷu alaʔ, runs from June 11 to 30 in the FINA Gallery at UBC Okanagan, with an opening reception and performance scheduled for Saturday, June 11 at 3 pm.
Kelowna Falcons Baseball Game Honouring Every Child Matters
Join the Kelowna Falcons, Saturday, June 18 for a special game honouring Every Child Matters as they face off against the Kamloops North Paws. The Falcons will be proudly wearing "Every Child Matters" jerseys and hosting the WFN community. The event will feature Indigenous vendors, drumming, singing and traditional dancers. Don't forget to wear orange to show your support!
Get your tickets here.
Turtle Island Festival
The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society is hosting their annual Turtle Island Festival on Tuesday, June 21. There will be live entertainment, food, arts, crafts, a mini powwow and more! The event is open to the public and will take place at the 400-500 Block of Leon Ave. from 9am – 8pm.
Shop Local
Westbank First Nation is also recommending that people shop local by visiting
on-reserve businesses, including
Spirit of the Lake Native Boutique. Spirit of the Lake—which sells a wide range of Native art, jewelry and gifts—is hosting an Indigenous Summer Market on Saturday, June 25 from 9am-3pm to celebrate.