National Indigenous Peoples Day 2025, 2026 and 2027

National Indigenous Peoples Day is a statutory holiday every 21 June in Northwest Territories and Yukon to appreciate the cultures of the Inuit, Metis, and “First Nations”.

Year	Date	Day	Holiday	Provinces and Territories
2025	21 Jun	Sat	National Indigenous Peoples Day	NT & YT
2026	21 Jun	Sun	National Indigenous Peoples Day	NT & YT
2027	21 Jun	Mon	National Indigenous Peoples Day	NT & YT
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

There was a long, hard-fought movement to finally get a holiday on the Canadian calendar to celebrate the contribution of aboriginal groups to Canadian life, culture, and history. June 21 was chosen as the date for a couple of reasons. First, it is the day of the summer solstice, which means it is warmer than usual in Northwest Territories and other far-north areas of the nation. Second, many aboriginal tribes already had traditional celebrations of their heritage on June 21.

In Northwest Territories, the Dene, Inuvialuit, and Metis are the main specific Indian tribes honoured on National Indigenous Peoples Day. In Yukon, key First Nations tribes include the Gwitchin, Han, Northern and Southern Tutchone, Kaska, Tagish, and Tlingit. These groups each have their own language, culture, and history. There are festivals throughout Canada, and especially in Northwest Territories, that educate and entertain by showcasing the song, dance, art, games, foods, and other traditional cultural features of the various aboriginal groups.

Some of the types of activities that abound on National Indigenous Peoples Day include: summer solstice celebrations, barbecues, social gatherings with native singing and dancing, scared fire-extinguishing ceremonies, and traditional-style feasts, where such “dainties” as moose stew and flat, “fry (pan-fried) bread” are served.

Previous Years

Year	Date	Day	Holiday	Provinces and Territories
2024	21 Jun	Fri	National Indigenous Peoples Day	NT & YT
2023	21 Jun	Wed	National Indigenous Peoples Day	NT & YT