Make this National Indigenous People's Day

By Ted Resnikoff

It seems incongruent to write about a "national" Indigenous People's Day given that the culture and society of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, whose habitation of this land predates its discovery by Europe and control by the United States by hundreds of years, has been overrun to the point that the second Monday in October (October 14, 2013) is commonly celebrated as Columbus Day (commemorating Columbus' discovery of the American continent). We invite you to be congruent with history and our Principles by appreciating and honoring the culture history of indigenous peoples.

LEARN MORE:

From the UUA

- Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. The Doctrine of Discovery (DoD) is the foundational document under cover of which the Americas were explored and claimed by European powers. Learn more about the Responsive Resolution of the UUA to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, watch the video produced by the UUA about the Doctrine of Discovery, and find out how to take action on Justice for Native American Peoples.

- Indigenous Peoples Day. The Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to fully understand the legacy of Christopher Columbus, just as it calls us to respect and learn from indigenous peoples and support their struggles for social justice and religious freedom. Join Unitarian Universalists across the United States in honoring Indigenous Peoples Day. Discover 10 Ways to Honor Indigenous Peoples' Day.

- Intentional Multicultural Ministries. Guided by our principles, Unitarian Universalists (UUs) are called to work for racial justice; to nurture religious communities that are inclusive of people of all races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds; and to dismantle racism and other oppressions at home and in our larger society.

Read about the vote by students at Arizona State University renaming Columbus Day"Indigenous People's Day".

From the United Nations - International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Although this observance does not happen in on the second Monday in October, awareness of the condition of indigenous peoples throughout the world deepens our observance.

From wikipedia - Indigenous People's Day (also known as Native American Day) is a holiday celebrated in various localities in the United States, begun as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day. The purpose of the day is to promote Native American culture and commemorate the history of Native American peoples. The celebration began in Berkeley, California as an alternative to Columbus Day, which is listed as a federal holiday in the United States but is not observed as a state holiday in every state.[1] Indigenous People's Day is usually held on the second Monday of October, coinciding with federal observance of Columbus Day.[2]

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