Indigenous Peoples Day marked with celebrations, protests
Source: AP
By FELICIA FONSECA
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) Indigenous people across the United States marked Monday with celebrations of their heritage, education campaigns and a push for the Biden administration to make good on its word.
The federal holiday created decades ago to recognize Christopher Columbus sighting in 1492 of what came to be known as the Americas increasingly has been rebranded as Indigenous Peoples Day.
For Michaela Pavlat, cultural interpreter at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, the day is one of celebration, reflection and recognition that Indigenous communities are fighting for land rights, for the U.S. government to uphold treaties, and for visibility and understanding.
As long as youre on Native land and stolen land, its Indigenous Peoples Day, said Pavlat, who is Sault Ste. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians (Anishinaabe). We have a lot of movement and a lot of issues were facing in our communities, and you can have that conversation every day.
The words "Expect Us" are spray painted on the base of the Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Park as Indigenous and environmental activists protest in front of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. The words are part of the phrase "Respect Us, or Expect Us" which indigenous women have been using while protesting oil company Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline through Minnesota. President Joe Biden on Friday issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day, lending the most significant boost yet to efforts to refocus the federal holiday celebrating Christopher Columbus toward an appreciation of Native peoples. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-united-states-travel-museums-race-and-ethnicity-d767bdac268a6523a4350f6cccd1dc2b
MustLoveBeagles
(11,641 posts)Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)tavernier
(12,409 posts)I was happy to be there to see it as we have very few events like that in the Keys.
twodogsbarking
(9,834 posts)White guys haven't done the best job.
RobinA
(9,896 posts)they had their chance. Now we have had our chance, we'll see how that works out. Someone else will be along at some point no one now alive will live to see.
Bayard
(22,172 posts)That needs to go away.
About time the--Columbus, "discovered," America--Big Lie is having a light shown on it. Is that still being taught in schools?