Armed with dance, song and memories from many years back, Edmonton's native groups joined together Saturday to celebrate their culture and heritage in heart of the capital region.

Native bands from all across Alberta came together to celebrate National Aboriginal Day, an event created 12 years ago by the Liberal government to celebrate the culture and heritage of aboriginal groups in Canada.

The day is held every year on June 12 due to its cultural significance as the first day of summer, the longest day of the year and the rebirth of Mother Earth.

In Edmonton, dancers and drummers in traditional attire showed off their rich heritage at the Alberta Legislature, with hundreds joining in to celebrate their culture in near perfect weather.

The celebration comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized on behalf of the government for residential schools, where many young aboriginal people suffered abuse and neglect.

Wilson Okeymaw, a residential school survivor, said Saturday's celebration was particularly sweet coming off of June's historic apology.

"This is absolutely an important year, an important day," he said. "To have an apology what a beautiful gesture from the prime minister of this country."

Across the legislature grounds, Ivan Hunter began the process of passing on his heritage to his family.

The Edmonton father began teaching his 12-year-old son traditional native beading as the warm day progressed.

"It's nice to know it's part of my culture and this is what they used to do back in the day as gifts," Chance Kootenay said, 12. "It's pretty cool."

Meanwhile, some the province's politicians also joined in on the celebrations.

Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Gene Zwosdesky made a promise to local aboriginal residents take the federal government's apology and move forward with it.

"Alberta is about to become the largest aboriginally-populated province in Canada," he said. "We have to be ready for this because it's coming and let's be there with the proper opportunities."

In Ottawa, Harper issued a statement Friday that boasts of significant progress on a range of aboriginal issues, including land claims, education, housing, child and family services, safe drinking water, economic opportunity and the extension of human rights protection to First Nations individuals on reserves.

With files from the Canadian Press