Celebrate Indigenous stories and experiences with CBC all month long

June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to celebrate and commemorate the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of Indigenous Peoples from coast to coast to coast.

As the sun rises on June 21, it marks the arrival of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and the beginning of National Indigenous Peoples Day. This day of celebration honours the heritage, resilience, and contributions of Indigenous People across Turtle Island. Join CBC to explore all of the award-winning storytelling, music, literatureand events celebrating First Nations, Inuit and Mtis Peoples.

CBC British Columbia Podcasts

From journeys of self-discovery to uncovering land theft in Canada, CBC British Columbia has an array of Indigenous podcasts that you can listen to during National Indigenous History Month and beyond.

THE URBARIGINAL: Torn between two worlds and turned away from his community and culture, Tsimshian author and entertainer Rudy Kelly embarks on a journey to uncover who his father really was and, along the way, discover more about himself. Listen here.

LAND BACK: From Gitanmaax to Senw to Unist'ot'en, and from blockades to court battles and government negotiations, Gitxsan investigative journalist Angela Sterritt looks at the ways Indigenous people are pushing against colonial institutions to take their land back. Listen here.

PIECES: Join 19-year-old Jeremy Ratt on a journey of self-discovery as he seeks to understand his roots and all of the distinct "pieces" that form who he is today. Listen here.

Indspire Awards - June 21 at 7 p.m. on CBC TV and CBC Gem
Twelve outstanding Indigenous achievers from a diverse list of First Nations, Inuit, and Mtis communities will be celebrated during the broadcast of the 2024 Indspire Awards,which recognize outstanding achievements from Indigenous peoples across the country in a variety of fields, including: the arts; business and commerce; culture, heritage and spirituality; education; health; language; law and justice; public service; and lifetime achievement. Three Youth Award winners are also honoured for their accomplishments, serving as role models to other First Nations, Inuit, and Mtis youth across Turtle Island. Learn more about this year's recipients here.

UNRESERVED 10th Anniversary Special - Sunday, June 23 at 2 p.m. on CBC Radio and CBC Listen
A live taping of Unreserved celebrates a decade of learning and unlearning with host Rosanna Deerchild. Laughter is our medicine and we've had plenty of it over the last 10 years. Humour has helped us celebrate the good stuff and get through the hard stuff together. As we explore the art of a good laugh, some of our favourite storytellers will drop in, sit on our talk show couch and share how they elevate and celebrate Indigenous communities and our stories. The show includes comedy by Sherry McKay, music by Douzie and the return of Unreserved's Aunties Circle featuring Vida Lamour, Sonya Ballantyne and Shelagh Rogers.

CAF DAUGHTER - Friday, June 28on CBC Gem, and at 8 p.m. localon CBC TVBased on the Kenneth T. Williams play, Caf Daughter is a coming-of-age story about a young Chinese-Cree girl in Saskatchewan who begins to embrace her Cree identity after a family tragedy.

Throughout June, CBC Indigenous presents cross-platformproject F I R S T., highlighting the accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit and Mtis trailblazers in law, medicine, science, sports - and beyond. Featured stories include Shirley Williams, the first Indigenous woman in Canada to reach full professor status via traditional knowledge, and Shaaw Tla, a Tlingit woman who had a pivotal role in starting the Klondike Gold Rush. CBC Indigenous is publishing 12 stories throughout the month on cbc.ca/indigenous and across CBC platforms.

CBC Books recommends 29 must-read books for children and teens by Indigenous writers, curated by Phyllis Webstad, the creator of Orange Shirt Day and author of several bestselling books: "I chose books that bring about conversation of what happened to us as Indigenous People and ones that bring hope for a better future."

Indigenous Stories Collection - Watch Free on CBC Gem
CBC Gem's Indigenous Stories Collection features a variety of series, documentaries and feature films, including the Canadian premiere of documentary Waterman Duke: Ambassador of Aloha, the inspiring story of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku, narrated by Jason Momoa; lifestyle series Bears' Lair, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to aspiring Indigenous business owners; and feature A Storm Blows Over following a young woman on a mysterious journey after the disappearance of her boyfriend, plus three short documentaries made through the NSI IndigiDocs training program: Athegus, Living Weaving and pi-kiwik (come home).

Photos courtesy of CBC