Trudeau paddles at dawn to mark National Aboriginal Day

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a large group of his ministers and MPs joined elders and Indigenous leaders at dawn Tuesday for a ceremony kicking off National Aboriginal Day.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould stood alongside the prime minister for a smudging ceremony performed by Gina Wilson, the most senior Indigenous person in Canada's public service.

Wilson, who is Algonquin, is an associate deputy minister at Public Safety Canada.

After greeting theIndigenous leaders and elders present, Trudeau joined 12 Mtis, Inuit and First Nations youth foran early morning paddle in a voyageur canoe provided by the Mtis Nation of Ontario.

The buckskin jacket Trudeau wore belonged to his father, the prime minister's office said in an email to CBC News.

Formerprime minister PierreElliottTrudeau,was an avid canoeist.

Trudeau attends traditional sunrise ceremony

8 years ago

Duration 1:05

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a traditional sunrise ceremony on the Ottawa River near Parliament Hill to mark National Aboriginal Day.

"Events over the past few months including the loss of life to suicide and the feelings of despair felt in some communitiesremind us that we must work in genuine partnership with Indigenous peoples, the provinces, and the territories to better support the well-being of children and families, improve the quality of education for Indigenous students, and ensure health services meet the needs of Indigenous communities," Trudeau said in a statement.

"Together, we will think seven generations out as the Iroquois have taught as we listen to Indigenous voices on environmental matters, build necessary roads, bridges, and water and wastewater infrastructure, and ensure a better and brighter future for Indigenous peoples in Canada."

Gov.-Gen. David Johnston and his wife Sharon are in Brantford, Ont. Tuesdayto visitthe Woodland Cultural Centre, a formerresidential school. Their participation in the ongoing reconciliation process is part of the governor general's role as an honourary witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"Thisdayis an opportunity to celebrate the incredible cultural diversity, ancestral heritage and significant achievements ofAboriginalpeoples," Johnston said in a statement released by Rideau Hall.

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