Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day (IPD) is an active replacement of ‘Columbus Day’. Personally, Indigenous People’s Day is about the recognition of the resilience of my people, my ancestors, and all of those who have ever been oppressed. IPD is the acknowledgment of our history, our heritage, and our contribution to a ‘global society’. It is about breaking our chains of isolation and communication to attain an international community. Recognition of IPD is part of a series of steps towards liberation for Indigenous Peoples.
On this particular day, I want to give a shout out to the many natives whose voices & stories are erased by those in positions of power, native & non-native alike:
- Shout out to the natives who left their reservations because they envisioned a better life for themselves & their people.
- Shout out to the natives who grew up in urban/suburban areas, yet retain a connection to their culture & people.
- Shout out to the natives who were displaced from their ancestral land, but remind their selves & children where they come from.
- Shout out to the natives who were forced into the foster system, & forced to assimilate in US-white society.
- Shout out to the natives who struggle with identifying as native because they don’t fit into the conscripted authentic ‘native’.
- Shout out to the natives who are biracial/multiracial/multiethnic, the voices of the ancestors that you have inherited are diverse & many.
- Shout out to the natives who are Indigenous, yet are not recognized by the US federal government or other natives.
- Shout out to the natives who were dis-enrolled because of ‘US’ tribal politics & oppression.
- Shout out to the natives who attended a Tribal College.
- Shout out to the natives who join the military, not to protect this country, but to protect their people & lands.
- Shout out to the natives who join the workforce after high school because education was not the right fit for them.
- Shout out to the natives who drop out of the education system because it was the best decision for them.
- Shout out to the natives who realize that academia is toxic and colonial, but continue to be there for themselves, their family, & their people.
- Shout out to the natives who struggle with their ancestral language, because English & any other colonizing languages were forced down their throats.
- Shout out to the natives with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, historical trauma, etc. It is not your fault.
- Shout out to the natives who have survived a suicide attempt.
- Shout out to the natives who have passed on from this world, into the next. Your stories & memories remain with us.
- Shout out to the natives who speak out against injustice in oppressive spaces.
- Shout out to the natives who want to remain silent, but still, challenge social expectations by their very presence.
- Shout out to the natives who are afraid to be their selves at home, but learn to love themselves anyway.
- Shout out to natives who are silenced and marginalized by other natives. I see you, & I hear you.
Today is a celebration of your livelihoods and your survivance. Today, and every single day is about you.
For a list of resources about Indigenous Peoples’ Day, please see below: