A large crowd took to the Chatham Eight Site to dance, sing, eat, and learn on National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent and the Maawnjidimi Indigenous Network marked its third annual event Wednesday by recognizing the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
Chatham-Kent is located on the traditional land of the Three Fires Confederacy, the Odawa, Potawatami, and Ojibwe.
"Today is all about enjoying people, not just Indigenous people," said Cedric Isaac, a cultural advisor from Walpole Island First Nation. "There's all kinds of people here who are not Indigenous and we just want them to understand who we are and the contributions we make to this country."
The celebration featured fun activities for kids, Indigenous vendors and information booths, a food booth, singing and drumming, and a "reconcili-action" table.
Issac said he feels that more people have their "eyes open" to what's going on with Indigenous people in Canada over the last several years.
"We need more events like this to share our culture, to share what we know," said Issac. "It's time to let them know who we really are."
Looking forward, Isaac said he would like to put the "bad stuff" in the past and move on.
"We just want to show that there is a unity of people that can get together and respect each other," said Isaac.
Leigh Ann Issac, a member of Bkejwanong Territory, said her great-grandparents have managed to hold onto their language and culture, despite attending a residential school.
"Because my grandpa was strong with culture and with the language, we were able to hold to everything that we had back then," said Leigh Ann. "It was a battle and a fight to keep our language."
Leigh Ann carries the traditions of her mother, the Mohawk Nation, and her father, the Chippewa Nation.
"Our culture is not a religion, it is a way of life," said Leigh Ann. "It's respecting the earth and each other. Every life force, you have respect for it, you acknowledge that it exists and that it is here."
