Indigenous Peoples' Day
This blog post and graphic designs were done by our student worker, Kylie Gatchalian
More and more people have been celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday of October as an alternative to Columbus Day to honor and commemorate the resilience and culture of Indigenous people. There are currently over 600 Native Nations and 6.8 million Americans that identify themselves as Native Americans. However, Native Americans remain underrepresented in the media as well as face discrimination on a daily basis. Though people see Columbus Day as a commemoration to the discovery of the Americas, it has the bigger implication of Native history erasure and desensitizes the violence of colonization. It should not be romanticized as it inhibits the voices and visibility of Native Americans.
Since 1977, people have opted to celebrate Indigenous People’s day. Some examples include the Colorado’s American Indian Movement chapter who began protesting the celebration of Columbus Day in 1980, and activists in South Dakota who persuaded to recognize Native American Day rather than Columbus Day. With both states having large populations of Native people, they have had a large impact on the Red Power Movement that garnered more political visibility for Native Americans.
With that, Indigenous Peoples Day pushes against this invisibility and sheds lights to Indigenous cultures. It urges Americans to rethink history and recognize the idea that Native Americans are the first inhabitants of America. It also gives non-natives a chance to learn more about Native communities and their history. Although having a day to recognize the nation’s rich history is significant, we must always look at opportunities to look into the history of our nation and recognize indigenous representation, equality, and justice!
