You are currently viewing Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day

Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day

Highlighting Indigenous joy, history, art, culture from across the country on June 21, and throughout the year

une 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day and the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.


As part of the public broadcaster’s ongoing commitment to reflect Indigenous communities across Canada, CBC is recognizing National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day with a broadcast, streaming and audio lineup of original series and special programming that showcases First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences.

Watch. Stream. Listen.

CBC TV and CBC Gem

CBC TV and CBC Gem will be broadcasting and streaming a selection of Indigenous-led documentaries, films and series throughout the day and late night on June 21, including the following titles:  

7 p.m. (7:30 NT) – MASHKAWI-MANIDOO BIMAADIZIWIN SPIRIT TO SOAR
In the wake of an inquest into the mysterious deaths of seven First Nations high school students in Thunder Bay, Ont., Anishinaabekwe journalist Tanya Talaga examines what – if anything – has changed since they died.


8 p.m. (8:30 NT) – SGAAWAAY K’UUNA (EDGE OF THE KNIFE) 
Haida Gwaii, 1800s. At a seasonal fishing camp, two families endure conflict between the nobleman Adiits’ii and his best friend Kwa. After Adiits’ii causes the accidental death of Kwa’s son, he flees into the rainforest, descending into madness and transforming into Gaagiixid – “the Wildman.” When the families return in the spring, they discover Adiits’ii has survived the winter. Can he be rescued and returned to his humanity? Meanwhile, Kwa wrestles with his deepest desire – revenge. SGAAWAAY K’UUNA is the first feature-length film made entirely in the Haida language. 

THE CBC TV SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING FOR JUNE 21 (ALSO AVAILABLE ON CBC GEM)

Starting at 11 a.m. ET on CBC TV  (All times are ET).


CBC Listen 

To celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, CBC Music is presenting a full day of programming to highlight the work of Indigenous artists and composers, and will include music selected by Jarrett Martineau, host of RECLAIMED. On June 21, every show will feature an all Indigenous playlist – Mornings with Damhnait Doyle, Tempo with Julie Nesrallah, About Time with Tom Allen, Drive with Rich Terfry, Frequencies with Errol Nazareth, The Block with Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, and Afterdark with Odario Williams.

A special episode of RECLAIMED with Jarrett Martineau will air as the third hour of MORNINGS at 8 a.m. (8:30 NT), and the third hour of DRIVE at 5 p.m. (5:30 NT) on CBC Music. RECLAIMEDhonours National Indigenous Peoples Day by sharing Indigenous voices from across the country. Listeners will hear an uplifting collection of Indigenous songs chosen by leading Indigenous musicians, artists, writers, and community members—and the stories of why they matter and why they resonate for all Canadians and Indigenous Peoples on this special day. RECLAIMEDshares the mic for a people-powered soundtrack to the celebration. 

Buffy Sainte-Marie has been making music since she was three years old. A new five-part series called Buffy, launches on June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day. (CBC)

Buffy Sainte-Marie is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the past century and her music has quietly reverberated throughout pop culture and provided a soundtrack for Indigenous resistance for the last 60 years. In CBC Podcasts‘ new five-part series BUFFY, Mohawk and Tuscarora writer Falen Johnson (co-host of Secret Life of Canada) explores how Buffy’s life and legacy is essential to understanding Indigenous resilience.

CBC Kids

Watch CBC Kids on June 21 for a special morning of programming for National Indigenous Peoples Day, including episodes of Molly of Denali and interstitials featuring Indigenous culture and heritage.


For more, visit CBC Gem for the CBC Kids Celebrates National Indigenous History Month Collection, which includes episodes from the Indigenous-produced series Molly of Denali, Anaana’s Tent (in English and Inuktitut) and Teepee Time (in English and Mi’kmaq)

Now Streaming

Long after the Kuper Island Residential School was torn down, the survivors remain haunted by what happened there. In CBC Podcasts’ KUPER ISLAND, investigative journalist Duncan McCueexposes undisclosed police investigations, confronts perpetrators of abuse, and witnesses a community trying to rebuild on top of the old school’s ruins and the unmarked graves of Indigenous children. 

The free CBC Listen App offers for a wide variety of Indigenous-themed podcasts, including: THIS PLACE, CBC Books’ podcast adaptation of the bestselling graphic novel anthology telling 150 years of Canadian history through Indigenous stories; and TELLING OUR TWISTED HISTORIES, an 11-episode award-winning podcast series that reclaims Indigenous history by exploring 11 words whose meanings have been twisted by centuries of colonization. 

UNRESERVED (Saturdays at 4.p.m. (4:30 NT) and Tuesdays at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT) on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen) is the radio space for Indigenous community, culture, and conversation. Host Rosanna Deerchild takes you straight into Indigenous Canada, from Halifax to Haida Gwaii, from Shamattawa to Ottawa, introducing listeners to the storytellers, culture makers and community shakers from across the country. The UNRESERVED team offers real talk from the people behind the headlines, with a soundtrack from the best in Indigenous music.

CBC Gem’s INDIGENOUS STORIES COLLECTION features a variety of series, full-length documentaries from the National Film Board, and short documentaries from the National Screen Institute, including: doc series GESPE’GEWA’GI: THE LAST LAND about the Indigenous fishers of Listuguj, Quebec; Season 2 of SKINDIGENOUS, profiling some of the most talented Indigenous tattoo artists in the world;  the Canadian Premiere of Australian comedy series PREPPERS; documentary MARY TWO-AXE EARLEY: I AM INDIAN AGAIN about a key figure in the women’s rights movement; Alanis Obomsawin’s HONOUR TO SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR; and the Canadian Premiere of WARRIOR SPIRIT, about the UFC’s first Native American champion, Nicco Montaño.

Join CBC for the 2022 INDSPIRE AWARDS in celebration of Indigenous excellence, which will also broadcast on CBC TV June 19 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) and on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen at 8 p.m. (9 AT, 9:30 NT). Click here to learn about this year’s recipients.