Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day
Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday celebrated on the second Monday of October in the United States, in lieu of Columbus Day. This year, it falls on Oct. 9.
Indigenous Peoples' Day, at its core, aims to celebrate and honor the past, present and futures of Native peoples throughout the United States and acknowledges the legacy of colonialism, which has devastated Indigenous communities historically and continues to negatively impact them today.
More importantly, however, Indigenous Peoples' Day moves beyond the narrative of oppression and honors the histories, cultures, contributions, and resilience of contemporary Native peoples." (IllumiNative, An Advocate's Guide to Supporting Indigenous Peoples' Day)
What is Tribal sovereignty?
"The U.S. Supreme Court has acknowledged that tribal governments are the oldest sovereigns on the continent - Native American sovereignty predates the sovereignty of the U.S. - and as such, tribes and tribal people maintain some degree of control, though a diminished measure of sovereignty to be sure. Tribal sovereignty includes the right to govern one's community, the ability to preserve one's culture, and the right to control one's own economy. The sovereignty status (tribal sovereignty encompassing Native American military, social, and economic development) of Indian nations still remains today. As sovereign entities, Indian nations are guaranteed the power and/or right to determine their form of government, define citizenship, make and enforce laws through their own police force and courts, collect taxes, and regulate property use." (University of Iowa, "Acknowledgment of Land and Sovereignty")
Learn more about Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous sovereignty here
Where can you learn more about Indigenous nations?