Indigenous People’s Day
On Monday, October 14th we observe Indigenous People’s Day. Established in Berkley, California in 1992, it coincides with the arrival of Columbus in 1492. Many cities and states began adopting the day and finally in 2021, President Biden was the first U.S. President to formally recognize this holiday, acknowledging the importance of honoring our Indigenous Ps also known as the First Peoples.
Around the nation this weekend, there will be ceremonies, festivals, rallies, and marches remembering and honoring Indigenous Peoples. We recognize their knowledge, their culture and traditions, their history (which is also our history as a nation), and the important legacies of sustainable and democratic living.
The ideals of collective good, community ties, sustainability of the land, respect for nature, and the democratic traditions (which we adopted) were important facets of Indigenous life that have deeply influenced American democracy. As we seek to have a more equitable and sustainable world with the voices of all being heard and acknowledged, we must recognize where we are and whose land this was before the arrival of Columbus and the European settler colonialists. Indigenous Peoples’ Day also calls attention to the pain, suffering, and trauma caused by celebrating Columbus Day, reminding us that Indigenous communities thrived for millennia prior to European colonization.
Did you know? “The United States of America traces its political roots to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but by then, democracy was old news in the so-called “New World.” During the American Revolution, thousands of Native Americans had already been living under a system of governance that embodied many of the same ideals that were later espoused in Philadelphia...the Haudenosaunee Confederacy with its Great Law of Peace, dating to back to around 1142, embodied principles of unity, liberty and equality, even providing for the separation of powers and outlining impeachment procedures, long before the U.S. Declaration of Independence was written.
Two hundred years later, in 1988, Congress passed a resolution acknowledging that the Iroquois Confederacy influenced the political systems of the original 13 colonies and the U.S. Constitution…it reads, “as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the Constitution itself." Consisting of 117 rules recorded on strings of wampum beads, the Great Law was designed to help the Haudenosaunee live in harmony. Besides vesting the community with the power to choose its own leaders — a right which, at the time, may have been unique in the world — it even describes the ideal character of those leaders: servants rather than overlords. “Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will,” reads Article 24, “and their minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the Confederacy.” Discover Magazine, Oct. 10, 2022
How to respectfully honor Indigenous Peoples Day
- Acknowledge the Land You're On.
- Share About Indigenous Peoples Day.
- Rebuild Local Ecosystems with Native Plants.
- Share & Read Books by Indigenous Peoples.
- Support Indigenous businesses, authors, and craftspeople.
- Visit a museum that shares about Indigenous history and culture
Here is a list of some online resources for education, literature, art, and history:
Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness
A list of books for adults compiled by Wild Rumpus: https://wildrumpusbooks.com/indigenouscreatorsadults
A list of books for children
From The Core Collaborative: https://thecorecollaborative.com/honoring-indigenous-authors-with-7-childrens-books/
From Helping Kids Rise.Org: https://www.helpingkidsrise.org/post/great-children-s-books-by-indigenous-authors-ownvoices
Visit the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu/
Native Knowledge 360° is run by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Check out featured resources for Unlearning Columbus Day Myths.
PBS’s Native American Heritage Collection takes a look at Indigenous art, history, and culture as told by historians, artists, students, and scientists.
The Zinn Education Project believes in taking a more engaging and more honest look at the past. Take a look at their resources on Native American topics.
“That hand is not the color of yours, but if I prick it, the blood will flow, and I shall feel pain. The blood is of the same color as yours. God made me, and I am a Man.” – Standing Bear
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