Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2023
Contributor: Inclusion-Diversity-Equity-Advocacy ( I.D.E.A )Committee
In the United States, Indigenous Peoples' Day is recognized on Monday, October 9, 2023. This is a time to honor and celebrate Native American peoples. Therefore, many people use the day as an opportunity to lift up and celebrate Native American culture, history and teachings, teaching the perspectives of Indigenous peoples and their ancestors who lived on the land now known as North America. These peoples existed in these areas thousands of years before the first European explorers arrived.
At the same time, this can be a somber day to learn about and reflect on the atrocities that colonists have perpetrated against Indigenous communities throughout history. Indigenous peoples have sought recognition of their identities, their way of life and their right to traditional lands, territories and natural resources for years. Yet, throughout history, their rights have been violated. Many of these inequities continue today.
*Indigenous: the word means originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.
Did you know that ….
- In 2021, the U.S. celebrated its first national Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
- According to the United Nations, there are more than 476 million Indigenous peoples living in 90 countries all over the world. In fact, Indigenous people comprise 6.2% of the world’s population.
- Columbus Day began as a celebration of Italian immigrants who faced persecution in the U.S. For many with Indigenous ancestry, it was a slap in the face—a celebration of invasion, theft, brutality and colonization. Columbus and his crew enabled and perpetrated the kidnapping, enslavement, forced assimilation, rape and sexual abuse of Native people, including children.
- The Native American population shrank by about half after European contact. For Indigenous Americans, the landing celebrated by some as a day of triumphant discovery was the beginning of an incursion onto land that had long been their home.
- The movement to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day or Native American Day has gained momentum and spread to states, cities, and towns across the United States. The first state to rename Columbus Day was South Dakota in 1990. These states and the District of Columbia now observe Native American or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, in place of or in addition to Columbus Day: Alabama, Alaska, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin.
Resources to Learn More
A brief history of Indigenous Peoples' Day
This map outlines an approximation of the Indigenous territories in North America.
Native American Community Services
Indigenous Day Vs. Columbus Day
Teacher Resources
Indigenous People’s Day K-12 Teaching Resources
Books recommended by Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo), founder and co-editor of American Indians in Children’s Literature.
Podcasts are Warrior Kids by Pam Palmater, This Land by Rebecca Nagle and All My Relations by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish/Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation),
For children under 10, use this free activity guide.
Free webinars, targeted to middle and highschool students
Sources:
https://unexpectedvirtualtours.com/indigenous-peoples-day/
https://www.almanac.com/indigenous-peoples-day
https://www.un.org/en/observances/indigenous-day/background
https://sni.org/culture/museum/
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