Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!
Here in Colorado we have been celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus day for three years now, ever since 2020. Some cities here in Colorado made the switch even earlier, like Boulder and Denver.
However, the state does have a bit of a checkered past when it comes to this particular holiday. Colorado was actually the first U.S. State to celebrate Columbus day as a holiday. So it’s probably a good thing that we were also an early adopter of Indigenous Peoples Day here in Colorado.
Of course, one holiday acknowledging the trials and horrors faced by the Indigenous Peoples of the world, and especially of the United States, doesn’t undo the legacy of that history. We still need to do more, and to actively invest in Indigenous cultures and preservation, with the Indigenous Peoples themselves at the lead and guiding the effort.
Today though, I would like to give special acknowledgement to the Indigenous Peoples of Colorado:
- The Apache Nation
- The Arapaho Nation
- The Cheyenne Nation
- The Pueblo Tribes
- The Shoshone Tribes
- The Ute Nation
- The Comanche Tribes
- The Kiowa Tribes
- The Navajo Tribes
How You Can Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day In Colorado
Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! If you want to celebrate, I’d like to invite you to spend some time thinking about how you can support the people and culture of the First Nations people. Some ideas include looking for organizations and charities supporting First Nations communities, especially donating to organizations addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis. If you aren’t familiar with the MMIW crisis, today is a good day to learn about it.
You can also support Indigenous Peoples in your community by going to their places of business and buying their goods. By voting with the interests of Indigenous Peoples in mind. By learning more about their culture and history from Indigenous sources specifically.
And, in the meantime, I hope you will join me in giving thanks to the people who came before us. To the land that supports us. To the rich cultural legacy that helps make us who we are.
If you’re looking for places to visit here in Colorado to honor the legacy of Indigenous Peoples in this land, I recommend the Anasazi Heritage Center or the various historical sites in the Canyon Of The Ancients.
