SE First Nations Inuit and Metis Program

Pride Month is a time to celebrate love, identity, and belonging, while also honouring and celebrating the deep and enduring presence of all 2SLGBTQI+ peoples, including Indigenous Two-Spirit Peoples! 🏳️‍🌈

Two-Spirit (2S) is a culturally specific identity used by some Indigenous people to describe the interconnectedness of gender, sexuality, spirituality, and community roles within Indigenous worldviews. Long before colonization, many Indigenous Nations recognized and respected gender diversity, where Two-Spirit people were often honoured as knowledge keepers, healers, and leaders.

This Pride Month, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and resurgence of all 2SLGBTQI+ voices, and reaffirm our commitment to creating safer, more inclusive spaces that uplift Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

Let’s continue to learn, listen, and walk together in kindness and celebration! 🌈

As we begin June, we are proud to recognize National Indigenous History Month - a time to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada!

This month invites us to deepen our understanding of the diverse Indigenous communities whose stories have shaped, and continue to shape, the land we live and work on. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the truths of our shared history and the ongoing work of reconciliation.

As part of our recognition of National Indigenous History Month, we are honored to share that SE Health commissioned the incredible artist, Bada Jean (https://www.badajean.com/), who is a Nêhiyaw (Cree), Dene and Welsh visual artist from Treaty 6 and 7 territory, to develop beautiful original artwork, which you are seeing here. This piece is titled, ‘Northern Light Dancers’.

We also encourage you to join the SE Health First Nations, Inuit and Métis Program for a special FREE 3-part webinar series for National Indigenous History Month. The first webinar is today (June 1, 2026) at 12:00pm EST, featuring Jacqueline Lauzon, who will share her life experiences from her Métis perspective, including how her lived experiences have influenced her health and wellbeing.

Registration is required for these webinars: https://fnim.sehc.com/event/indigenous-history-month-3-part-webinar-series-june-1-2026/

World Cultural Diversity Day is a time to celebrate the rich mosaic of cultures that shape our shared world, and across Canada, Indigenous Peoples are central to that diversity!

Did you know:

🌎️ More than 1.8 million people in Canada identify as Indigenous, representing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, each with distinct cultures, histories and traditions.

🌎️ There are over 600 First Nations communities across Canada, representing more than 50 Nations.

🌎️ Over 70 Indigenous languages are spoken across the country, belonging to 12 language families, reflecting extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity.

🌎️ Indigenous cultures across Canada are deeply connected to land, language, ceremony, and community, and continue to thrive through resilience, revitalization, and intergenerational knowledge sharing.

On World Cultural Diversity Day, we honour the diversity, strength, and living cultures of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, and recognize the importance of respecting and learning from the many ways of knowing, being and caring that enrich our communities!