I am pretty sure most of us grew up with the Second Monday of October being Columbus Day which meant a day off from school for many. Now my calendar says:
- Columbus Day
- Indigenous People Day
Columbus Day celebrations in the United States—meant to honor the legacy of the man credited with “discovering” the New World—are almost as old as our nation itself. The earliest known Columbus Day celebration took place on Oct.12, 1792, on the 300th anniversary of his landing. But since the 1990’s, a growing number of states have begun to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day—a holiday meant to honor the culture and history of the people living in the Americas both before and after Columbus arrived. Here is an excellent article that briefly explains why Columbus Day is being replaced by Indigenous People Day.
Locally the Museum of American Revolution will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples Weekend October 7-9 with fun and educational activities for the whole family. Some include:
- Lenape Social Dances and Storytelling
- Meet the Revolution with Kehala (Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan) and Jordan Smith (Mohawk, Bear Clan) as they share stories about their culture and engage guests in conversation about the past, present and future of their people
- Oneida Beadwork with Mary Homer and her daughter (both Oneida, Wolf Clan) will be present to demonstrate stitching traditional Iroquois beadwork.
- Just a small taste of the activities which will be taking place at the Museum of the American Revolution October 7-9.
- And for a really special way to learn about the Indigenous People, I encourage you to take a trip to Washington DC to the visit the National Museum of the American Indian. It has four sections each dedicated to the American Indian in different areas of the United States. While there you can enjoy sampling foods from the various areas represented.
Submitted by Peggy Marks