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Image courtesy of MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda

 

It's time to recognize that celebrating the life of Christopher Columbus also celebrates the erasure of Indigenous existence. While there is a growing movement around the country to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, more work remains to be done. We are excited to share some local and national events celebrating Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples Day. 

In the United States, 30 states now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, or a holiday of a similar name, on the second Monday of October, as an official holiday or via proclamation. In 2021, Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day, however, he did not replace Columbus Day. 

By Laura Hobson Herlihy 

Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate Brooklyn Rivera (Miskitu), the guiding force of the Nicaraguan Miskitu Peoples for more than 40 years, was arbitrarily and illegally detained at his home in Bilwi-Puerto Cabezas early on September 29, 2023, just five days after his 71st birthday. Ortega’s Sandinista police forces, sent from Managua, illegally seized his property. 

Trigger warning: This article discusses physical and sexual violence against Indigenous women. For immediate emotional assistance, call 1-844-413-6649. This is a national, toll-free 24/7 crisis call line providing support for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirited people. The Kuu-us Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis services through the numbers below

By Francesco Cricchio (CS Intern)

“We need to recover the places in which we once used to pray.” This strong voice comes from a small community of San Pedro Jilotepec, located in Oaxaca province, Mexico, where the Mixe Peoples are trying to restore parts of their traditional territory. They have lived with this land for more than 300 years, and recovering the areas in which they performed their ancestral ceremonies means rediscovering their identities as Indigenous Peoples. 

World Habitat Day 2023: Reimagining Sustainable Cities

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