This year, Indigenous People’s Day, a holiday commemorating the culture of the Native American people, lands on October 13th. Celebrating a new name for this holiday is important in order to commemorate the Native people of the United States and to teach the new generation (and the older ones) the real story of how America wasn’t “discovered.”
This holiday originated in 1977 when it was still known as Columbus day, until it was unofficially proclaimed to be celebrating something not worth celebrating, and it was changed to Indigenous People’s Day. The holiday often includes a Powwow, a celebration ceremony including dances, food, and people coming together.
This year, ETHS had a half day of school on October 13th. Students attended various different workshops and activities related to Indigenous Peoples Day, such as the making of corn husk dolls, jewelry making, and lessons on colonialism and education systems in Native communities.
After attending the beginning ceremony, student Eliza Wright remarked that, “I liked learning about the history and details of Native American culture in the present, not just the past.” Other workshops told stories from Native American culture. Freshman Rose Davoren, who attended multiple workshops, explained that, “The speaker told stories about Native American culture and how it connects to ideas in today’s world… I thought it was really interesting to see the parallels in our lives with these stories.”
There were around 15-20 workshops over the course of the half day with different speakers and people leading students through the lessons. To close out the school day, different types of dances were performed, hailing from different tribes and regions from around the United States. The whole day was planned and organized by the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, which is located in northern Evanston, right by Lovelace Park.
Lucia Lopez, a student who played a part helling in the event, expressed that this celebration isn’t only about history and the past, but, “it’s a present acknowledgment of the indigenous presence within the eths community, and of course, a celebration of our many indigenous cultures. It’s also a time to connect with each other and support each other,” This event marks the significance of the preservation of a community built on a diverse collection of cultures, teaching new generations about cultures passed down years and years.
