Observing Indigenous Peoples Day
Oct. 6, 2022
Oki/Yá’átééh Brandeis Community,
With that "hello" from the Blackfeet and Navajo languages - representing Evangelina's and Lee's respective tribal affiliations — we invite you to join us Oct. 10 to participate in our Indigenous Peoples Day event at the Brandeis Intercultural Center.
The observance of Indigenous Peoples Day is about Native American and Indigenous peoples' presence, histories and resilience. More than acknowledgement, it is about active support of Indigenous communities and caring for the lands we occupy. According to National Today, "The first seed of Indigenous Peoples Day was planted at a U.N. international conference on discrimination in 1977. The first state to recognize the day was South Dakota in 1989. Today, 14 U.S. states celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and not Columbus Day, as well as the District of Columbia. More than 130 cities [in Massachusetts] including Arlington, Amherst, Cambridge, Brookline, Marblehead, Great Barrington, Northampton, Provincetown, Somerville, and Salem also celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day."
With this year's focus on Indigenous Climate Justice, we invite you to join us from noon-2 p.m. for the following offerings on the Intercultural Center's patio:
- Welcoming remarks from Lee Bitsóí followed by a community blessing
- Community Keynote by Jean-Luc Pierite (President of the North American Indian Center of Boston) followed by a Q&A and discussion about actionable steps to take beyond the event
- Round dance experience led by Evangelina Macias
- Sharing an Indigenous-inspired meal that will be provided. Please try to bring cups or containers for drinks.
In addition, please register for the Brandeis Novel Symposium on Friday, Oct. 14, an in-person one-day event at Brandeis University. Registration for the livestream is also available. Each year the Brandeis Novel Symposium showcases one novel, and this is the first year that the Symposium is centered on a Native American novel — D'Arcy McNickle's "The Surrounded" (1936).
To learn more about previous Indigenous Peoples Day events here at Brandeis, we encourage you to check out the Intercultural Center's online archive of previous speakers.
We hope to see you there!
Evangelina Macias, PhD
Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
LeManuel Bitsóí, EdD
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Thank you to our co-sponsors: The Intercultural Center, Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Brandeis Office of Sustainability and Harvest Table.