Come celebrate and learn more about National Aboriginal Day at York Friday, June 21 in Vari Hall. All of June is National Aboriginal History Month, an opportunity to honour the heritage, contributions and cultures of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
National Aboriginal History Month provides an opportunity to recognize not only the historic contributions of 
Aboriginal peoples to the development of Canada, but also the strength of present-day Aboriginal communities and their promise for the future.
A Fancy Shawl dancer at the 2010 Aboriginal Powwow at York. Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur
It is an important tribute to the heritage and diversity of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation of 1763, a foundational document in the relationship between First Nation peoples and the Crown, and laid the basis for Canada’s territorial evolution.
It also marks the 100th anniversary of Canadian Arctic Expedition (CAE), a significant turning point in Canada’s Arctic territorial history that helped shape Canada into a nation, strong and free. By asserting Canadian control over thousands of square kilometres and confirming Canada’s modern northern border, the expedition and its activities laid the foundation for the future of Canada’s development in the Arctic. It also showed that despite its youth, Canada was prepared to vigorously demonstrate its sovereignty over a contested territory.
In 2012, Canada commemorated the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. During this war, First Nation and Métis groups fought alongside the British for the land that was to become Canada. From 2012 to 2014, celebrate National Aboriginal History Month by learning more about the contributions that Aboriginal peoples made to the War of 1812, and so much more.