Teepees pictured at Kin Park during National Indigenous Peoples Day 2024. A teepee will be set up outside city hall for the 2025 event. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By CHAT News Staff

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Medicine Hat to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day with Friday event

Jun 18, 2025 | 5:38 AM

The City of Medicine Hat is hosting a celebration for National Indigenous Peoples Day on Friday.

The annual event will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the city hall plaza. Activities will be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

A teepee will also be set up outside of city hall on the grass near Finlay Bridge, according to an event description by the city.

It wasn’t immediately clear if last year’s teepee-raising ceremony at Kin Park would also be repeated.

The event will kick off with a welcome and land acknowledgement from Managing Director Joe Hutter and an opening prayer and smudge led by Elder Charlie Fox.

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Then, an honour song will be performed by community drummers before remarks from Mayor Linnsie Clark, Carlee EaglePlume and Brenda Mercer.

Next on the agenda is a dance presentation from Dobry, Shannon and Dustin Kunka.

A flag raising ceremony will take place at the community flagpole in the plaza ahead of closing remarks from Hutter.

At that point the formal proceedings will be over.

A reception — along with a craft and learn circle in the tipi — will round out the celebration.

Event refreshments will include Bannock, tea, coffee and water. Informal drumming and dancing may also continue in the teepee area.

The city also has various other Indigenous arts and culture events planned for the month of June listed on its calendar.

Medicine Hat is situated on Treaty 7 territory.

That includes the traditional lands of the Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood), Piikani (Peigan), Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut’ina (Sarcee), as well as the Cree, Sioux, and the Saulteaux bands of the Ojibwa peoples.

The area is also considered in the homelands of the Métis Nation District 2 Battle River Territory.