June in the Capital Regional District is National Indigenous History Month, and Salt Spring Island residents are invited to take part in a series of local Indigenous-led events and learning opportunities, with National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. The CRD shared the call to action on June 2, 2026, asking people across the region to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Much of the local focus is on the Third Annual Indigenous Peoples Weekend on Salt Spring Island, running from June 18 to 21. The four-day gathering offers a full lineup that includes a tipi-raising ceremony, community potluck, live music, dancers, puppet shows, storytelling, an Indigenous crafts market and craft workshops. Organizers say the weekend is a chance for settlers to meet and celebrate alongside their Indigenous neighbours while experiencing the rich and diverse culture of the island.
The weekend unfolds on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of Coast Salish peoples, primarily the W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) nations who speak SENĆOŦEN, as well as Hul’qumi’num-speaking groups like the Quw’utsun (Cowichan). The event page is hosted by Gulf Island Events. More details on the full lineup are available through that site.
Beyond the weekend festival, the CRD points residents to other ways to learn and take part throughout the month. That includes visiting the Songhees Tours walking and canoe experiences in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, which share Lək̓ʷəŋən history and connections to land and water, or connecting with organizations like the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and the Indigenous Perspectives Society.
The region has also been strengthening formal ties with local First Nations. In recent years the CRD has signed a series of Memorandums of Understanding with nations including paaʔčiidʔatx̣ (Pacheedaht), Tsartlip, Tseycum, Kosapsum, Tsawout, and a Protocol Agreement with Songhees. Separately, the Indigenous-led Stqeeye’ Learning Society is seeking $2 million through its ‘Coming Home’ campaign to acquire land at Xwaaqw’um (Burgoyne Bay), where a Quw’utsun village once stood, to bring people back to the land and steward it once more.
