People can soak up Indigenous culture, try traditional food, and more in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day in Chilliwack.
It falls on June 21, and there are several events happening in Chilliwack on that day, plus some before and after as well.
It's Truth and Reconciliation Board Game Night at the Chilliwack Library on Monday, June 16 from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Designed for adult participants, this interactive experience offers a respectful and welcoming space to explore the impacts of colonialism, reflect on shared histories, and consider paths toward healing. Guided by library staff, the game encourages thoughtful discussion and deeper understanding through play. No prior knowledge is needed – just a willingness to listen, learn, and participate. For ages 19 and older, online registration required. Register with a group or individually.
The Rooted Waters and Cultural Showcase event, featuring a free celebration plus a ticketed event, is Tuesday, June 17 at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. It begins with a free Indigenous vendor marketplace, featuring food, artisan crafts, and cultural treasures from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Then from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a ticketed event with the screening of film Rooted Waters (a video storytelling project highlighting the nine Indigenous nations connected to Chilliwack), and also a live puppeteer performance about an Indigenous sturgeon story. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., the evening gathering will continue with more food trucks, artisan vendors, and handmade goods, plus live art and traditional wood carving. To register and purchase a ticket, visit the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce website or the Chilliwack Cultural Centre.
Join Chilliwack Library staff for a special screening in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day on Thursday, June 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The film will be Inkwo for When the Starving Return. This 18-minute stop-motion animated film is based on the world of author Richard Van Camp. The story follows Dove, a gender-shifting warrior who draws on the power of their Indigenous medicine, Inkwo, to defend their community against an unburied swarm of terrifying creatures. A guided discussion will follow the screening, with light refreshments provided. This film contains some intense and potentially frightening scenes and may not be suitable for all audiences. This is a free drop-in event, and is for those aged 19 and older.
Chillcouture: Shxwthíyt’awkw’ 2025, an Indigenous gala featuring fashion design, arts, music and culture, will return to the Shxwhá:y Cultural Centre (9651 Skway Rd.) on Saturday, June 21 at 6 p.m. Fashion designers include Aboriginal Threadz, Nikki LaRock Dezines, and hair-braiding stylists Leanne Greens and Kassidy LaRock. There will also be a jam session with four traditional singers and drummers, and an Iron Man competition with prizes – both these events are audience participative. People can taste a selection of Indigenous delicacies with food trucks and other vendors. This is also a fundraiser benefitting the Chillcouture Scholarship Fund for a local high-school student. Tickets are $30/general, $25/youth and seniors, and $95 for a family pack of four. For tickets, go to eventcreate.com/e/chillcouture2025.
Wilma’s Transition Society is hosting its fourth annual Indigenous Peoples Day Event on Saturday, June 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sardis Park. The day includes cultural celebrations, food trucks, face painting, bouncy castles, vendors, info booths and more.
Head to the Sardis Library for Coffee & Talk: Honouring National Indigenous Peoples Day on Saturday, June 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day will feature Courtney Dowdall, a Métis researcher, nationally recognized scholar, and advocate for change. Currently completing her PhD at Simon Fraser University, she has been federally honoured for her groundbreaking research on intimate partner violence in Canada. Drawing from lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, and global interviews with frontline professionals, Dowdall explores coercive control, how intimate partner violence escalates to lethal outcomes, and the systemic gaps that allow it to persist. This is a drop-in event.
To get your Chilliwack National Indigenous Peoples Day event included in this list, email jenna.hauck@theprogress.com.
