June 21st

~ from a post on the Anglican Church of Canada’s Facebook page

For generations, the summer solstice has held special significance for many Indigenous communities.  In 1971, the Anglican Church of Canada honoured this tradition by designating June 21 as “National Indian Day of Prayer”, a day to celebrate the gifts of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Canada.  This day, now called the National Indigenous Day of Prayer, was officially added to the Church’s liturgical calendar in 2010.

Collect of the Day

Creator God,
from you every family in heaven and earth takes its name.
You have rooted and grounded us
in your covenant love,
and empowered us by your Spirit
to speak the truth in love,
and to walk in your way towards justice and wholeness.
Mercifully grant that your people,
journeying together in partnership,
may be strengthened and guided
to help one another to grow into the full stature  of Christ,
who is our light and our life.  Amen

~ found in the Liturgical Resources on the Anglican Church of Canada’s website

National Indigenous Peoples Day is also celebrated on this day.  In 1996, the Governor General of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, announced via a proclamation that June 21st would be National Aboriginal Day.  It was renamed to National Indigenous Peoples Day in 2017.