Indigenous Peoples’ Day Resources
In 1977 indigenous delegates to the United Nations asked that member countries adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day to replace Columbus Day in October, due to Christopher Columbus's role in both persecuting the original inhabitants of the islands he colonized and in establishing the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
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WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY?
In 1965, the United Nations developed a Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The definition for "racial discrimination" used was "any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life."
Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, sponsored by the United Nations.In the 1990s, the City of Berkeley, California and the State of South Dakota were the first to make the change from celebrating Columbus Day to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day. Since that time, nearly thirty cities or jurisdictions as well as two other States (Alaska and Vermont) have recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day (Sample Resolutions from the cities of Anchorage, Alaska; Seattle, Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Albuquerque, New Mexico are enclosed).
WHY NOT CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE COLUMBUS DAY?
Scholars estimate that there were approximately 25 million indigenous peoples in the Americas between 14,000-45,000 prior to the landing of Christopher Columbus. Contrary to popular belief Columbus did not "discover" an America that "began" with the arrival of European traders and settlers, nor did he arrive in what we now call the United States. Columbus' ship went off course landing on the island of Hispañola in the area we currently know as modem Haiti. The arrival of Columbus and his men, through initial and subsequent travels, led to the spread of deadly diseases, forced assimilation, warfare, and massacres of native populations. His men wrote of their work as one of killing, destroying, ravaging, and maiming. Columbus' offenses were so egregious that he returned to Europe at one point in chains, where he was tried for crimes against humanity but later pardoned.
WHY SHOULD YOU SUPPORT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY?
from the Cleveland American Indian Movement
Forty years ago, indigenous delegates to the United Nations asked that member countries adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day to replace Columbus Day in October, due to Christopher Columbus's role in both Persecuting the original inhabitants of the island he claimed and administered for Spain in 1492, as well as being the "father" of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. We hope you too will support this effort by learning and sharing the truth about Christopher Columbus.
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FACTS FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY MASSACHUSETTS
Indigenous Peoples Day is about more than a name change; it’s a refusal to allow the genocide of millions of Indigenous peoples to go unnoticed, and a demand for recognition of Indigenous humanity. Recognizing this day in place of what’s currently known as “Columbus Day” is a way to correct false histories, honor Indigenous peoples, and begin to correct some of the countless wrongs committed against Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (what’s now known as the Americas).
THE ZINN EDUCATION PROJECT: ABOLISH COLUMBUS DAY RESOURCES
It is time to stop celebrating the crimes of Columbus and stand in solidarity with the Indigenous people who demand an end to Columbus Day. Instead of glorifying a person who enslaved and murdered people, destroyed cultures, and terrorized those who challenged his rule, we seek to honor these communities demanding sovereignty, recognition, and rights. We encourage schools to petition their administration and for communities to introduce legislation to rename Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. Here is some information and resources to join the campaign to Abolish Columbus Day.
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLUMBUS DAY: WHY ARE WE CELEBRATING?
Today, while millions across America are celebrating Columbus Day, the city of Seattle is celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. That’s because last week, the Seattle city council unanimously passed a resolution to honor the contributions and cultures of Native Americans on the second Monday of October. While Seattle’s decision may seem unusual, it’s actually part of growing trend. Many cities and states across the country have shifted away from celebrating Columbus Day, and that’s because more and more Americans are learning the real history behind Christopher Columbus and his “discovery.”
A #LANDBACK FILM FROM HESAPA
Watch and share this powerful 5 minute film that puts the fight for the return of the Black Hills into context, uplifts the disproportionate rates of imprisonment of Indigenous people and makes the connections between the #LANDBACK movement and the Movement for Black Lives. After watching the film, Take Action! 1. Sign this petition to demand Mt. Rushmore and all Public Lands in the Black Hills be returned to the Oceti Sakowin. 2. Sign up for #LANDBACK campaign updates for local opportunities to mobilize around Indigenous Peoples’ Day actions, upcoming webinars, and more. 3. Follow @ndncollective on social media and use the hashtags: #LANDBACK #DefendDevelopDecolonize #IndigenousPeoplesDay2020.
THE ZINN EDUCATION PROJECT: WHOSE HISTORY MATTERS? STUDENTS CAN NAME COLUMBUS, BUT MOST HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE TAÍNO PEOPLE
Early in my high school U.S. history classes, I would ask students about “that guy some people say discovered America.” All my students knew that the correct answer was Christopher Columbus, and every time I asked this question, some student would break into the sing-song rhyme, “In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” — and others would join in. “Right. So who did he supposedly discover?” I asked. In almost 30 years of teaching, the best anyone could come up with was: “Indians.”
#INDIGENOUSREADS BY INDIGENOUS WRITERS: A CHILDREN’S READING LIST
Indigenous people are very much a part of today’s society. With their stories, Indigenous writers share the range of their lives, past and present, and we hope that you’ll embrace and share their stories. This list of 14 recommended children’s books by Indigenous writers and illustrators was curated by The Conscious Kid Library and American Indians in Children’s Literature, in partnership with Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
ILLUMINATIVE: AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY TOOLKIT
An advocate’s guide to supporting Indigenous Peoples’ Day
*Click here
FIVE WAYS TO HONOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
by Eileen Campbell-Reed
US citizens and Christians remain largely ignorant of both past and current harms experienced by Indigenous People. Why does it matter to understand this history of colonization, genocide and land theft? For Christians it matters because we are far from the love of God or neighbor, when we know better, yet keep taking part in these destructions. It matters when we have some idea about how we have sinned against our siblings, yet we keep multiplying our ignorance. In order to make needed change, I need to displace my centrality as a white person in the narratives of what it means to be an American. I need some genuine humility. I need to expand my understanding of both history and the present moment. Here are five things I’m working on and I invite you to join me and let’s encourage each other to do this much needed work. Today is a good day to commit to begin again.
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These documents are provided as examples for others wishing to lead their own local efforts to change the Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples' Day.
OBERLIN, OH
Letter to the City Council from Peace Community Church
Letter to the Oberlin City Council from the Cleveland American Indian Movement
Petition from the residents of the city of Oberlin to abolish Columbus Day
Events held by the residents of Oberlin to educate the public about Indigenous Peoples’ Day
ALBUQUERQUE
City of Albuquerque Resolution
MINNEAPOLIS
City of Minneapolis Resolution
SEATTLE
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A LITANY OF CONFESSION FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
by Rev. Mary Hammond
There are no words in the English language adequate to confess the impacts of white settler colonialism on the Indigenous People of this nation and this world. The first step in the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is to admit that we have a problem. We come today, this first Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Oberlin, Ohio, and acknowledge that this nation was founded on white supremacy, forced assimilation, and genocide, much of this wedding Christianity with the colonization of the Americas. This brutal legacy has continued in many forms to this day. The United States as a nation has held no formal hearings on these crimes of lasting magnitude. There has been no national Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There has been no societal reckoning.
HOW SHOULD WHITE PEOPLE CELEBRATE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY?
By Shannan Vance-Ocampo
May this be a day of discovery for you, soul-discovery that leads to repentance, confession, celebration, turning in a new way, whatever it is that God has set in motion in your life. May it be a day of deep intentionality for you.
WHY WE WORKED FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY IN OBERLIN, OH
by Cindi and Jeriel Byron-Dixon
(Check out the website created by Cindi Byron-Dixon for the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee of Oberlin)
Columbus Day has a controversial history in the US, despite being one of the newer federal holidays. In 1992, Berkley, CA, became the first city in the United States to reject Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day. Twenty-five years later, as of Oct. 9, Time reports a list of 55 cities which have done the same—as well as three universities, three states, two cities which celebrate both, and South Dakota, which replaced Columbus Day with Native American Day in 1990. More communities are considering the same, including Washington, DC itself. As of October 2017, Oberlin, OH, is on the list, and Cindi and Jeriel Byron-Dixon can tell you why.
