Celebrate the Summer Solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21, 2024
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
This event is suitable for all ages.
FREE for everyone.
Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, and for many it marks the official start of the season. Celebrate at Spark with hot eats and cool treats, work up a sweat learning new dance steps, hang out in the sun or beside the fire (weather permitting), and dive into Indigenous Knowledges of the cosmos.
What to expect at National Indigenous Peoples Day:
While entrance is free, due to the popularity of these events and capacity restrictions, it’s strongly recommended that tickets be reserved ahead of time. Please note RO5iE tickets are an additional cost.
You’ve tried square dance, two-step, and Zumba... but have you ever tried the Red River Jig? Jigging has served for generations as a dance that people from diverse cultures can engage in together.
Traditional Métis jig is a combination of Scottish, Irish, French-Canadian, and First Nations, step dancing traditions. The jig is not only a style of dance but also a practice of survival, identity, and community bonding.
Learn about the unique gifts of the edible and medicinal plant ancestors in the garden within Where We Gather.
Listening to frequencies and "music" created from the biological signals of plants helps humans understand how plants respond to their surroundings in real time and helps us comprehend how we are in a relationship with these more-than-human relatives.
Indigenous Science embraces a holistic way of knowing, through the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. The Circle of Life, sometimes known as the Medicine Wheel, signifies many parts in harmony and balance with one another. As humans we always make mistakes; the Circle of Life teaches us humility, and how to strive to be in balance.
These sessions are safe spaces where everyone is free to explore questions, stories, teachings, and misunderstandings of Indigenous music, singing, stories, and symbolism. Participants gain an introductory knowledge of Indigenous spiritualities and how this knowledge affects the journey of Indigenous culture, governance, and place in the mosaic of Turtle Island.
*In inclement weather, this experience will be moved indoors.
For thousands of years, humans have observed patterns, alignments, and movements in the Cosmos, and connected stories with those patterns to underscore important seasonal changes. Learn about ancestral wisdoms and observation science, weaving Indigenous and global science perspectives. Deep dive into the unique science of solstice events and observe what solstices would look like on other planets in this dynamic and original show.
What is Indigenous Science and how is it different from Global (Western) Science? Join members of the Ancestral Science Podcast team for a screening of their first video episode featuring revered Indigenous Scientists Wilfred Buck (Opaskwayak Cree Nation) and Rob Cardinal (Siksika).
Wilfred and Rob share stories of the recent Solar Eclipse, and the significance of that alignment to their communities, while also connecting this alignment with ceremonies and star constellations.
Witness the wonders of chemistry as Spark’s Live Science Guides showcases vibrant hues in a controlled fire display, exploring how different chemicals interact and influence the colour of flames.
*In inclement weather, this experience will be moved indoors.
One-of-a-kind finds from a variety of local sellers.
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Vendors Include:
Burliest Bear Art
Pepper Pottery
Blackfoot Crossing
Grandpa’s Honey Farm
Ancestral Science Podcast
Rainy Chief Trading Post
Beadwork by Jasmine Piper
Join Knowledge keepers from the Spark Advisory Circle for stories, tellings, and science of Ancestor Sun.
For centuries, the moss bag has been used by Indigenous Peoples to keep a baby snugly wrapped for safe sleep. Moss bags traditionally held freshly gathered sphagnum moss, known to have medicinal properties that made it an ideal diaper: antiseptic and absorbent, the moss kept the baby dry and rash-free.
Learn about Indigenous Motherhood practices from the founder of the Moss Bag Project in this hands-on talk. Let your little ones feel the materials and wrap up their own favourite stuffy in a mini-size moss bag, learn how to wrap a baby in a real moss bag, or get snug and cozy inside a larger-than-life adult-sized moss bag!
Sweet Bannock Bites served with maple caramel and warm Saskatoon berry compote.
Stay tuned for a surprise seasonal ice cream special inspired by wild foraged ingredients!
TELUS Spark Science Centre gratefully acknowledges Imperial, TD Ready Commitment, and Plains for their generous support of Indigenous science programming.
