Pride and National Indigenous History Month

• 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Health and Active Living Plaza indoor boardwalk
• Free entry
• Support 2SLGBTQIA+ and Indigenous-owned businesses and shop local!

Indigenous Learning Circle: Learn about the Anishinaabemowin Names of EG Public Library Rooms

• 10:30 to 11 a.m.
• Free
• Location within the HALP: EGPL Queensville Branch (Main area)
• Vicky Wolske and Georgina Wolske, two members of the Georgina Island First Nation (GIFN), will lead a naming ceremony and share teachings about the Anishinaabemowin terms gifted by Georgina to name three EG Public Library names. All residents and visitors are welcome to attend
• Drop-in.

• 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Free
• Location within the HALP: EGPL Queensville Branch, Learning Arts, Culture, and Diversity Pod (Pod within the EGPL Queensville Branch)
• Free drop-in activity.
• Learn some Anishinaabemowin with music and puppets! John-Paul Chalykoff will be singing and sharing language with his furry blue friend, Baabii (pronounced like Bobby). There will be a number of songs and little moments of sharing with Baabii and the audience. There will be time for Q&A at the end for those in attendance to ask Baabii any questions they may have. All are welcome to attend! Drop in.

• About John-Paul Chalykoff: John-Paul Chalykoff is an Assistant Professor of Anishinaabemowin at Algoma University / Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is a member of Michipicoten First Nation. His work focuses on utilizing music and puppetry to encourage learning and retaining Anishinaabemowin. 

• Learn more: Indigenous Puppet Show with John-Paul Chalykoff and Baabii

• 1 to 2 p.m.
• Free
• Location within the HALP: Learning Arts, Culture, and Diversity Pod (Pod within the EGPL Queensville Branch)

• This interactive workshop introduces participants to the cultural significance of the Indigenous drum, often referred to as the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Through storytelling, teaching, and live demonstration, participants will learn about the sacred role the drum plays in Indigenous cultures as a tool for connection, ceremony, and community. Facilitated by Jared Big Canoe, the session explores the teachings surrounding the drum, including its origins, cultural protocols, and the responsibilities carried by those who sit at the drum. Students will gain insight into how songs carry language, history, and spiritual meaning within Indigenous traditions. Participants will also experience the drum through live demonstration and may be invited to take part in a shared rhythm or song, fostering a deeper understanding of the power of collective voice and unity. This workshop creates space for respectful learning, reflection, and dialogue while strengthening awareness of Indigenous cultural practices and teachings. Please register.

• About Jared Big Canoe: Jared Big Canoe was born and raised on Georgina Island First Nation, and has been raised traditionally Anishnaabe for his entire life. Jared Big Canoe is a member of Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. Jared and his family drum group “Chippewa Travellers” have travelled and performed coast-to-coast as well as collaborated with notable artists such as: The Hallucination (formerly A Tribe Called Red) and Juno Winner, Cris Derksen. Jared is a traditional Grandfather Drum Carrier with his group, “Shining Water”. He is also a Cultural Knowledge Keeper and is doing his part in raising awareness for Indigenous Issues.
• Register: Indigenous Drum Teachings: The Heartbeat of the Nation

• 2 to 3 p.m.
• Free
• Location within the HALP: EGPL Queensville Branch, Makerspace
• In celebration of Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month, this workshop invites participants into a creative and collaborative space to explore identity, community, and self-expression through art-making. Together, participants will contribute to individual and/or collective works that honour multiplicity, resistance, and care, foregrounding art as a space for connection, affirmation, and reimagining more expansive ways of being. All welcome to attend! No prior art experience needed. Please register.
• About artist Natalie King: Natalie King is a queer interdisciplinary Anishinaabe (Algonquin) artist, facilitator, and member of Timiskaming First Nation. Her arts practice spans painting, video, sculpture, installation and curation. King’s work speaks to cultural survival, memory, kinship, and the radiant cycles of life and death. Often depicting queer and Two-Spirit kin, King’s works embrace the ambiguity and multiplicities of identity within the Anishinaabeg experience. 
• Register: Crafting Expansive Ways of Being: A Mixed-Media Art Workshop with Natalie King

• 3 to 4 p.m.
• Free
• Location within the HALP: Public and Social Services Pod

• This high-energy beginner-level vogue dance class will cover foundational elements of voguing and share important history about the dance style. Anyone who wants their first voguing experience is encouraged to participate. All are welcome to come regardless of age, sexuality or skill level. Vogue is a style of dance that arose from the gay and transgender Black and Latinx communities in ballrooms across Harlem from the 1960s - 1980s. Please register.

• About TKBA: The Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance (TKBA) is more than a community—it’s a culture of celebration, self-expression, artistry, and connection. Rooted in the rich culture of ballroom, the TKBA is dedicated to empowering Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities through events, education, and advocacy.

•  Register: Intro Vogue Dance Class with Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance (TKBA) 

1. Listen.
2. Be open-minded.
3. Be inclusive.
4. Don't make assumptions about how someone identifies. Someone may be looking for support in their coming-out process, and by not making assumptions, you give them the space they need.
5. Speak out against anti-2SLGBTQIA+ comments and 'jokes'. Let people know the things said are offensive and harmful.
6. Confront your own bias and prejudice.
7. Defend your 2SLGBTQIA+ friends and family against discrimination.
8. Believe that every person should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of gender identity, pronouns, and sexual orientation.