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indigenous peoples day
Human Rights Defenders Decry 'Cynical' Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration Amid Gaza Genocide
"Gotta love America—celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day today while arming, funding, and supporting the occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of the Indigenous Palestinian people abroad," said one critic.
Oct 14, 2024
Human rights defenders on Monday underscored the links between the decolonization struggles of Native Americans and Palestinians—and the hypocrisy of celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day while the United States provides military aid and diplomatic support for Israel as it wages a war on Gaza for which it is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
"Several years ago Native activists successfully rallied their city councils to replace Columbus Day, the day that honors the Italian explorer who was a destroyer of Native worlds, with Indigenous Peoples Day, a holiday that celebrates the Natives who have resisted colonial oppression for over 500 years, since the arrival of Christopher Columbus," Jewish American scholar Benay Blend wrote for The Palestine Chronicle.
"It is also a good time to highlight Indigenous solidarity within the Americas as well as with other Indigenous people, including the Palestinians," Blend said. "Indeed, both people share a similar story of resistance to colonization, while the colonizers—the United States and Israel—share similar origin stories and tactics used to sever the Native people from their land."
Citing Steven Salaita—the Palestinian American professor of American Indian studies whose offer of a tenured position at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana was rescinded in 2014 over his criticism of Israeli bombing of Gaza—Blend noted that "both Israel and North America share similar rhetoric that justifies their origins."
"Infused with biblical references to 'salvation, redemption, and destiny,' settlers in both countries believed that they had reached the Promised Land, where God commanded them to eliminate the Indigenous populations to make way for more fertile land that had previously been 'underused and unappreciated by the natives,'" she added.
In a social media post that included video footage of Israel's bombing on Monday of a displaced people's encampment on the grounds of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Uahikea Maile—a Native Hawaiian professor of race, diaspora, and indigenity at the University of Chicago—said on social media that "Indigenous Peoples Day is about commemorating our survival and endurance despite settler colonialism—resisting annihilation as distinct people."
"If your celebration doesn't condemn Israel's wanton destruction of Palestinian life, then it recklessly shores up settler colonization," he added.
Samoan poet and educator Terisa Siagatonu stressed that "Palestinians are an Indigenous people" and "a free Palestine is an Indigenous struggle."
"I'm saying this over and over again as clear as I can because I don't believe people are contending with this enough, and you need to," she added.
Nick Estes, a Lakota community organizer and University of Minnesota historian, asserted that "the cynical 'celebration' of Indigenous Peoples Day by a settler state backing another settler state's genocide against Palestinians and Lebanese shows us nothing is sacred, not even our own survival, until we bury colonialism once and for all."
Responding to an Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation by U.S. President Joe Biden "respecting tribal sovereignty and self-determination," labor historian, author, and Empire State University professor Jeff Schuhrke took a swipe at those "commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day while simultaneously facilitating the real-time colonial extermination of Palestine's Indigenous people."
The U.S. direct action group Jewish Voice for Peace chose Indigenous Peoples Day to stage a protest at which more than 200 activists were arrested while demanding an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Sumaya Awad, a Palestinian American spokesperson for the event and member of Adalah Justice Project, toldThe Indypendent that "the fact that the United States claims to stand with and honor Indigenous people... while they're actively funding and financially backing the ethnic cleansing of an Indigenous population in Palestine is contradictory to their statements."
Rick Tabenunaka, a member of the Comanche Nation and leftist organizer who hosts the "Decolonized Buffalo" podcast, said on social media, "I find it ironic that settlers will claim that Indigenous peoples on the North 'American' continent aren't doing enough to fight against settler colonialism."
"Yet," he lamented, "these same settlers spent a whole year watching their colonial government support genocide in Palestine and did nothing."
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On Indigenous Peoples Day, a Name Change Isn't Enough
I encourage everyone to look for ways to respect Indigenous Peoples and embrace the wayfinding guiding wisdom of our ancestors as we tackle the global challenges we're facing today.
Oct 14, 2024
This summer, with the stunning landscape of the Mongolian steppe as a backdrop, Indigenous Peoples from all corners of the world gathered together around a fire as instrumental music played and animals grazed freely in the fields. At a time of immense social, economic, and environmental upheaval globally, the gathering celebrated Indigenous unity, spirituality, and shared respect for the Earth.
The experience in Mongolia marked a momentary pause from the relentless mistreatment and oppression that Indigenous Peoples' cultures have endured for centuries and that we continue to endure to this day.
Despite the fact that Indigenous Peoples sustain approximately 40% of Earth's remaining intact ecosystems, agribusiness, mining, and extractive companies are driving deforestation across our land, while climate change sets our homes on fire. At the same time, Indigenous Peoples' languages, which represent a deep tie to our cultures and values, are fading out. Every two weeks, an Indigenous language dies. These realities are frightening, but we cannot ignore them. Instead, we must address them head-on and remain resilient.
It's time for the world to recognize that in preserving our way of life, we are also contributing significantly to preserving life on Earth.
The ceremony in Mongolia marked the start of the second in-person gathering of the Wayfinders Circle, a global network of Indigenous Peoples who have successfully kept alive our ways of life, along with our land, languages, traditions, and cultures. The Wayfinders Circle is composed of 15 member groups from across the seven sociocultural regions of the world, protecting 47 million hectares of land and 72 million hectares of oceans. The alliance gathers experts in the care and management of Indigenous territories, marked by guardianship, self-governance, and ancestral knowledge rooted in spirituality and passed down through generations.
Members of the Wayfinders Circle are seeking to address the challenges, threats, and difficulties Indigenous Peoples face and re-empower our communities as a collective by coming together, learning, and exchanging experiences related to ways of life, belief systems, and traditional practices. Together, we are using new mediums and methods to preserve the world in which we live.
I was fortunate to witness the initial formation of the alliance, and last month, I had the honor of sharing welcoming words during the premiere of the new film series, The Wayfinders, which brings attention to our work preserving our cultures and protecting our planet. The series, which premiered at the American Museum of Natural History during Climate Week NYC, allows Indigenous Peoples to tell our story from our perspective. It highlights Indigenous Peoples' deep connection to the environment and our role in protecting our sacred land, from the lush forests of Borneo, to the ancient territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy and the biodiverse Northern Territory of Australia. In each corner of the world, we are connected and fighting together to protect who we are.
Even though Indigenous Peoples have distinct perspectives and experiences, speak different languages, and represent diverse cultures and beliefs, what brings us together now is our profound connection to our homelands, a relationship built across millennia. Through the creation of The Wayfinders, what became abundantly clear is that we are all dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous cultures, from territorial management to the protection of sacred sites and languages.
Language in particular is a core aspect of who we are. It is more than just a means of communication—it is a living and sacred link between our past, present, and future. Language connects Indigenous Peoples' communities to our ancestors, carrying forward our history, beliefs, and traditions. It plays a vital role in preserving culture and ensuring its continuity for future generations.
I am Saami from Norway. As Sámi people, we are considered the only Indigenous Peoples in Europe, including Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. We feel proud that, despite the challenges, we maintain our language. Our rich vocabulary is essential for our traditional livelihoods, such as reindeer herding, as it allows us to describe conditions crucial for navigation and survival in the Arctic landscape. It's estimated that the Sámi languages have more than 300 words specifically for snow and ice. These words capture subtle variations in snow's texture, quality, form, and changes over time, reflecting our people's deep connection to and understanding of our environment.
As Indigenous Peoples around the world continue to face growing threats to our cultures, land, languages, and spirituality, we are thinking expansively and creatively to fight back. Through children's books, modern songs, cultural camps, digital platforms, and more, Indigenous Peoples are preserving our way of life. The success of these efforts is not only a testament to the resilience of Indigenous Peoples but also a profound statement about the importance of our cultural and spiritual identity. It's time for the world to recognize that in preserving our way of life, we are also contributing significantly to preserving life on Earth.
As a lot of places in the U.S. have made the switch from "Columbus Day" to "Indigenous Peoples Day," honoring and recognizing the rich history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples, as well as acknowledging the effects of colonialism and the injustices they've faced, I invite you to take a step further. Just changing the name isn't enough. I encourage everyone to look for ways to respect Indigenous Peoples and embrace the wayfinding guiding wisdom of our ancestors as we tackle the global challenges we're facing today.
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Native Americans Protesting Trump Border Wall Tear Gassed, Arrested by US Agents on Indigenous Peoples' Day
"It's obscene and offensive to us that local and state governments move to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day while the federal government blows up our sacred sites, steals our kids, militarily occupies our communities, and shoots at Native Americans."
Oct 13, 2020
Twelve people, including at least eight Native Americans, were arrested near an immigration checkpoint in Southern Arizona on Indigenous Peoples' Day after United States Border Patrol agents and Arizona law enforcement officials violently repressed a peaceful action held Monday morning by roughly 30 land and water protectors.
The O'odham Anti Border Collective--a group of Akimel O'odham, Tohono O'odham, and Hia Ced O'odham tribal members that seeks to promote the cultural practices and protect the homelands of all O'odham nations "through the dismantling of colonial borders"--organized an Indigenous prayer ceremony to voice opposition to the cultural and ecological destruction caused by the construction of President Donald Trump's border wall.
According to a statement released by the group, O'odham families "sang traditional songs, prayed, and attempted to discuss the Freedom of Religion Act that decriminalized Native American religions and opened the path towards the protection of sacred sites."
After telling them to clear the roadway, Border Patrol agents, Arizona state troopers, and officers from the state's Department of Public Safety attacked participants with tear gas and rubber bullets.
A video of the incident recorded by a witness and posted online shows the police march towards the protesters and remove several individuals from vehicles to make arrests. Tear gas is visible, and the firing of rubber bullets can be heard.
The O'odham Anti Border Collective said the police shot at least one O'odham man in the chest with a rubber bullet, an example of what the group called the "violence [and] extensive abuses" that O'odham communities endure as a result of "border militarization."
The collective stated that those who were ripped out of vehicles and tear gassed included "children and people with vulnerable health" who were attempting observe the ceremony from the safety of their cars.
According to the group, the police "grabbed children who had been in vehicles and abducted them from their parents--stealing children from Indigenous parents for practicing their religion is a clear violation of the Freedom of Religion Act and the Indian Child Welfare Act."
"It's obscene and offensive to us that local and state governments move to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day while the federal government blows up our sacred sites, steals our kids, militarily occupies our communities, and shoots at Native Americans praying to protect our land and ancestors from desecration," said one O'odham tribal member who was present at the ceremony Monday morning.
The O'odham Anti Border Collective made the following demands:
- Immediate release of all who were arrested Monday;
- Immediate release of all minors abducted by the state Monday;
- Information about and reparations for all who were injured Monday;
- End the checkpoints and remove all Customs and Border Protection agencies from O'odham lands;
- Immediate and indefinite discontinuation of border wall construction at Quitobaquito Springs and throughout O'odham territories;
- Immediate removal of the white supremacist border wall and restoration of the land;
- Immediate demilitarization of O'odham lands;
- Remove the Integrated Fixed Towers;
- End racial profiling and harassment of Indigenous peoples;
- End incarceration and deportation of O'odham people from O'odham homelands by border patrol;
- End sexual and gender violence by border patrol;
- End white supremacist attacks, incarceration, and deportation of refugees and migrants on Indigenous lands; and
- Support Indigenous autonomy against colonial borders.
The group said Monday that they are still trying to obtain information about the condition of the man who was shot in the chest as well as others who were shot at.
The Arizona Daily Star, a Tucson-based newspaper, reported that about 35 supporters gathered outside the Pima County Jail to demand the respectful treatment and release of those arrested during the protest earlier in the day.
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