Indigenous Peoples’ Day Observances

Thanks to the Synod of Lakes & Prairies for sharing Gail Strange’s article from October 14, 2019 as inspiration for honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day, October 11, 2021. Here’s the Great Idea:

Strange shares background on the observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, noting that Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a perfect time for church groups to participate in a Blanket Exercise, which illuminates the historical and generational toll colonization has had on Indigenous communities.

Read the full 2019 article here.

Minnesotan’s can also expand personal and communal awareness through the Healing Minnesota Stories: Sacred Sites Tours; Phalen Creek‘s Wakan Tipi tours; or a documentary such as First Daughter and the Black Snake or others appropriate to the day, such as Warrior Women, found at gooddocs.net.

Find additional local Truth Telling experiences in our lib guide.

Put awareness into action by participating in Indigenous-led efforts such as Camp Migizi, Giniw Collective, or Indigenous Environmental Network all of whom are battling to preserve treaty rights and environmental integrity in Northern Minnesota. Or, go really big and join the People vs. Fossil Fuel march on Washington D.C., October 11-15, 2021.

Developing awareness, deepening community commitments to solidarity and accompaniment, and entering into work led by our Native siblings is a deeply honest way to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 2021. What a Great Idea!