Site icon Channel Canada

CBC marks National Indigenous Peoples Day & National Indigenous History Month

CDN Viewer
CBC TV

As part of CBC‘s ongoing commitment to reflect Indigenous communities from coast to coast to coast, the public broadcaster is recognizing National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day with programming that showcases First Nations, Inuit, and Métis perspectives and experiences.

National Indigenous History Month honours the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across the country. It is also an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the strength of Indigenous communities by sharing present-day stories from an Indigenous point of view, told by Indigenous-led creative teams.

CBC aims to amplify diverse Indigenous voices year-round, offering national audiences authentic and engaging storytelling that can’t be found anywhere else. A selection of CBC’s broad range of programming available on broadcast, streaming, audio and digital platforms in June and beyond is highlighted below:

Available in June on CBC platforms:

CBC TV

A selection of Indigenous-led documentaries, films and series will air on Sunday, June 21, including:

Thirteen outstanding Indigenous achievers from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities will be honoured during the broadcast of the 2026 Indspire Awards. Co-hosts Zorga Qaunaq and Jennifer Kilabuk from CBC, APTN and Netflix’s hit series North of North, bring their playful chemistry and humour to this annual celebration. Over more than 30 years, the Indspire Awards have honoured over 400 First Nations, Inuit and Métis for their outstanding contributions in leadership, culture, innovation, sport, education, and community impact. The 2026 Inspire Awards marks the introduction of a new Music Award. More information about the 2026 recipients is available on the Indspire laureates webpage.

(88 min, Documentary, directed by Leena Minifie & David Paperny, produced in association with CBC, APTN and Stories First Productions)

The world knows the image of the good Canadian. But what if there was a dark secret behind a national identity? The Good Canadian explores the idea of a True North strong and free. In this unflinching and eye-opening documentary, directors Leena Minifie and David Paperny move us through the corridors of systemic inequity, from the Indian Act to residential schools, to modern-day family separation. Fusing shocking footage with detailed interviews with experts, advocates, whistleblowers and politicians, The Good Canadian challenges national myth-making, while offering Canadians the chance to forge a new identity from the truth.

CBC Gem

CBC Radio and CBC Listen

On Sunday, June 21st, Unreserved is going live from The Forks in Winnipeg. National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated at The Forks each year with tens of thousands of people coming through to celebrate with powwows, land-based teachings, storytelling circles and entertainment. Rosanna Deerchild and special guests will explore how the resurgence of culture, such as the return of some dances that were almost lost, are enhancing the way people gather and celebrate on these special occasions.

Jenn Harper is the founder of Cheekbone Beauty, which aims to bring positive representation of Indigenous folks into the beauty space. She joins Tom Power to talk about the dream that inspired her to start the business, why Indigenous joy is the cornerstone of her business and why representation is at the forefront of everything she does.

Also on Q, highlights from recent conversations with Jeremy Dutcher and Tia Wood, will air in the week of June 15.

With Manitoba-based indie-rock artist Zoon set to release their third album, Happy Thought School, the Commotion Group Chat looks at the growing number of Indigenous artists embracing the blissfully blown-out sounds of shoegaze music as a means to explore identity and support healing in their communities.

Mattea Roach will speak to queer Nisga’a writer Jordan Abel about his new poetry collection, Dad Era, which is a lighthearted exploration of Indigenous knowledge transmission, parenting and toxic constructions of “fatherhood” on the internet. Abel has won many awards for his work, including the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Governor General’s Award.

Throughout June, The Next Chapter will feature book recommendations from 2026 Indspire Award laureates.

For more reading suggestions highlighting Indigenous writers across all genres visit cbcbooks.ca. 

Known as the “Picasso of the North,” Norval Morrisseau is one of the most celebrated Indigenous artists in the world. But when a rock star gets a tip about the authenticity of his Morrisseau painting, he discovers a sinister underworld with thousands of forged paintings, millions of dollars in profits, multiple fraud rings, and even a suspected murder. Host Adrian Stimson, an artist from the Siksika Nation, travels from Thunder Bay to the Northern Territory of Australia, to reveal what is believed to be the largest art crime fraud in the world. A six-part podcast from CBC and ABC in Australia, and 2026 Digital Publishing Awards’ Gold winner for Best Podcast: Arts, Culture & Society. 

CBC Music

All month long, Reclaimed‘s ‘DJ dance party’ series celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island from a lineup of Indigenous DJs.

On June 19, Drive’s Rich Terfry takes an hour-long Deep Dive into Mi’kmaq/Scottish singer-songwriter and activist Willie Dunn’s 1971 self-titled album.

On Sunday, June 21st, Weekend Mornings with Saroja Coelho will celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day with three hours of contemporary pop music from Indigenous artists.

Frédéricka marks National Indigenous Peoples Day with Ispiciwin (Journey), a choral suite by Cree composer Andrew Balfour, performed by Calgary’s Luminous Voices. You’ll also hear the Canadian Chamber Choir sing highlights from Where Waters Meet, a work by Carmen Braden that includes poetry by Anishinaabe/Ojibwe/South Asian playwright Yolanda Bonnell.

On Sunday, June 21st, In Concert celebrates music by Indigenous composers, including new music from Métis composer Pat Carrabré, a performance by l’Orchestre Métropolitain of Montreal in Europe featuring music by Anishinaabe composer Barbara Assiginaak, and a concert by Ensemble Made in Canada featuring music by Dene fiddler and composer Wesley Hardisty.

CBC Kids News

CBC Kids

***

CBC Indigenous drives coverage of and for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities led by a team of Indigenous journalists across the country. They deliver critical, creative and diverse journalism to audiences when and where they need it. The CBC Cree unit includes the award-winning East Cree-language radio shows Winschgaoug and Eyou Dipajimoon, which broadcast daily Monday to Friday on CBC Radio and CBC Listen. CBC North further broadens Canadians’ understanding of Indigenous experiences across the country with content available in six Indigenous languages.

CBC Indigenous Pathways is back for its fifth year. Pathways is a paid, full-time, nine-month learning and development opportunity for First Nations, Inuit and Métis seeking to develop careers with the public broadcaster. Candidates hone their skills as part of an Indigenous peer cohort, while receiving culturally relevant programming, as well as mentorship and development opportunities across the country. Be the first to know when the application window opens in July by signing up for the Indigenous Pathways newsletter, a monthly newsletter sharing Indigenous-specific learning and development opportunities.

Launched in February 2024, the National Indigenous Strategy Strengthening Relations, Walking Together is CBC/Radio-Canada’s collective commitment to examine our content and relationships with Indigenous Peoples, honestly and truthfully.

Exit mobile version