If the Canada 150 events this year have taught us anything, it's that we owe a lot of praise and respect to the country's First Nations and Indigenous peoples.

Aboriginal Day Live, which is part of the sesquicentennial celebrations, is kind of like the exclamation point on this statement and is a free day of festivities in eight cities across the country.

On June 21, Toronto's Fort York will host a day of activities and an impressive list of performers to celebrate the achievements and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Organizers also hope to create the largest round dance Canada has ever seen at 1 p.m. that day.

Artists such as Classified, Derek Miller, Eagle & Hawk, Eekwol and Willows will take to the stage starting at 8 p.m., but there will be DJs and performances from Toronto's own Big Fawn Canoe, and Susan Aglukark from 4 p.m. on.

After the sunrise ceremony at the beginning of the day, there will be cultural programming all morning until the early afternoon.

Also coming up, Fort York will host the Na-Me-Res Traditional Pow Wow on June 24 as a continuation of the National Aboriginal Day celebrations.