What does indigenous mean? Do you know any synonyms for this word?

Has your country ever been colonized?

Who lived there before the colonists arrived?

How many indigenous cultures can you name?

Vocabulary Preview

Self-government – n., people’s right to decide their own laws and rules

Treaties – n., agreements between two or more nations or countries 

Colony – n., a group of people who settle in a new place

Colonize – v. to settle in a colony

Enslave  – v., to force into slavery

Mistreatment – n., abuse

Participant – n., someone who takes part in something

Discrimination – n.,  the treating of some people better than others without any fair or proper reason

Artifacts – n., something or someone from or associated with an earlier time, especially when thought no longer appropriate, relevant, or important

Inhabitants – n. people who live permanently in a place

What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day? How can we celebrate it?

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday that recognizes the Indigenous peoples of the United States: American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. It celebrates the culture and history of Indigenous peoples. It also recognizes their right to self-government and commits to honoring the treaties the U.S. government signed with Indigenous nations.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October—the same day as Columbus Day. Many people want to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. They think that Christopher Columbus should not be honored with a holiday. The arrival of Columbus and the Europeans who followed him resulted in the enslavement, mistreatment, and deaths of thousands of Indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1977, participants at a United Nations meeting suggested that Indigenous Peoples’ Day replace Columbus Day. The meeting was the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas. In 2021, Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to recognize the holiday. Other countries have similar holidays. For example, in Canada, National Indigenous Peoples’ Day takes place on June 21.

An interesting way to observe this holiday would be to learn which peoples lived in your geographic area, and what their cultures were like.  For example, New York City was mostly the Lenape, Mohican, and Canarsie Nations. Find out what their customs were, and what foods they ate. Perhaps you could explore some preserved sites.

Source: https://native-land.ca/

Another interesting way to note Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be to visit the National Museum of the American Indian. The museum cares for one of the world’s largest collections of Native artifacts, including objects and photographs covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. There is also the Mili Kàpi cafe, serving refreshments featuring ingredients found in Native American foods. Mili Kàpi means “give me some coffee” in the Native language of the Lenape people, the original inhabitants of New York City.

The Museum is free and is open daily 10 am – 5 pm, except for December 25th.

Getting Here

The museum is located in the historic Alexander Hamilton US Custom House at One Bowling Green in lower Manhattan. The museum entrance is on the south side of Bowling Green, adjacent to the northeast corner of Battery Park.

Subway

4 & 5 trains to Bowling Green
1 train to Rector Street or South Ferry
R (& W on weekdays) trains to Whitehall Street
J & Z trains to Broad Street
2 & 3 trains to Wall Street

Bus

M5, M15, M20

Visit NYC MTA for maps and service updates for subways and buses.
Link to Google Maps to Museum of the American Indian

There are also fascinating exhibits from the Museum online at:
https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/online

Muisca clay head, Colombia, AD 1200 – 1600, clay and paint.