Statement by Funders for a Ceasefire Now
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.
On October 14-15, 2024, Mni Ki Wakan (Water is Sacred) (“MKW”) Co-conveners, Cultural Survival, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, UMN-Twin Cities-American Indian Studies Department, and partners are convening the Mni Ki Wakan Summit, themed, “Confluence of Rising Currents: Indigenous Water Justice, Co-Governance, & Indigenous Youth Leadership.” The MKW Summit will take place in the ancestral and traditional territory of the Dakota people, Mniśota Makoce, The Land of Misty & Foggy Waters.
By Tia-Alexi Roberts (Narragansett, CS Staff)
By Phoebe Farris (Powhatan-Pamunkey)
October 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers.
Edison Andrango (Kichwa Otavalo), Indigenous Rights Radio Program Assistant, is from the northern part of Ecuador. He studied International Relations and has a specialization in environmental management. His professional experience focuses on the development of sustainability projects in Indigenous territories. He sees himself as a bridge that facilitates connections between Indigenous communities and public and private institutions, seeking tangible results. Since his youth, he has been committed to cultural revitalization initiatives, particularly in promoting his native language, Kichwa. He has collected oral histories from older generations of Kichwa speakers. He has been a panelist on several national and international forums to speak about the humanitarian crisis caused by climate change. He says his main objective at Cultural Survival is to continue promoting projects that amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples. Edison speaks Kichwa, English, and Spanish. Contact Edison at edison.andrango@culturalsurvival.org.
By Candyce Testa (Pequot), Maya Lazzaro (Quechua), Kelsey Armeni, Pablo Xol (Maya Qʼeqchiʼ)
The Cultural Survival Bazaars are a mainstay of the impactful, Indigenous-led, non-governmental organization Cultural Survival, and were co-founded 49 years ago by Pia and David Mayberry Lewis. After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Cultural Survival Winter Bazaar returned to the Prudential Center in Boston last December, and the first post-COVID Summer Bazaars were held in July 2024 in Newburyport, MA, and Tiverton, RI.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.