COLD LAKE – Under a bright sun and clear skies, hundreds gathered at the Casino Dene parking lot on June 20 to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Cold Lake First Nations.
The event started at 8 a.m. and ran into the afternoon. It was packed with cultural performances, music, food, and community spirit.
The day kicked off with a traditional Pipe Ceremony and a free pancake breakfast at Hotel Dene. By 11 a.m., the grounds were buzzing with people enjoying a vendor market, face painting, and giveaways. A grand entry followed, featuring the Warrior Society Drum Group and an electrifying powwow performance.
During the welcome address, Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko delivered remarks following his recent re-election.
“It's a good day to be Indigenous. We're the true sovereign here, we're not going anywhere,” said Jacko. “I'm just thankful to the people for giving me the confidence to be reelected. We have unfinished business. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to unite and come together as a community - and this is one way to do it.”
MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul Scott Cyr was also in attendance at the celebration.
“I'd like to thank everybody for coming out today. It's such a beautiful day,” said Cyr.
“I'd like to congratulate Chief Jacko on his decisive win . . . He's a fierce advocate for the Cold Lake First Nation. Fierce.”
Cyr added, “When we bring him into the legislature, he is the first one to speak and he speaks with wisdom.”
The MLA also paid tribute to the legacy of late Dene artist Alex Janvier, noting his significance to the Cold Lake First Nations and the broader Indigenous community.
“Remembering the history, remembering those that built the Cold Lake First Nations, as well as your councils and your chiefs, is something that we all need to remind ourselves on.”
City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland echoed similar sentiments and emphasized the city’s partnership with Cold Lake First Nations.
“It's a beautiful day, but first off, I want to . . . congratulate Chief Kelsey there for another term,” said Copeland. “We're really blessed up here to have what I think is a great relationship between everybody.”
He added, the City of Cold Lake is proud to work with Cold Lake First Nations to better the Nation and the whole community.
Throughout the afternoon, guests enjoyed free barbecue, fish fry, and taco in a bag, while DJ Kookum kept the energy high. The Notorious Cree performance and meet-and-greet at 1 p.m. drew a large crowd, wrapping up with a community round dance and final door prizes.
