Indigenous people remember the reason they celebrate Native American Day

Oct 10, 2023 By Admin in Native

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) – In 1990, South Dakota became the first state to establish Native American Day.

Today, 17 states recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a day used to remember Native American heritage.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established Columbus Day as a national holiday. However, in 1990, South Dakota Governor George S. Mickelson made the decision to rename the holiday Native American Day, as a way to honor native culture and seek reconciliation between indigenous and white people after having historically bad relations. Monday, NDN hosted a march to honor the Native American Culture

“It’s important because, I think a lot of people might not understand what being indigenous is, what that means to us, it’s how we exist, it’s how we live our lives. Our lives are rooted in culture and language and it’s just neat to be able to share that and hopefully educate others in the community about that so they have an understanding, or begin to get an understanding about what that means,” said Murray Lee, director of community engagement for NDN Collective.

To some, being able to celebrate this day is a way to reclaim their cultural identities, as well as keep their history alive.

“I think that for a long time that because of colonization and genocide, we were forced on to a culture that was not of our own. This is us, abundantly who we are and celebrating our attire, our activism, our culture, our foods, our songs. I think it’s incredibly important, it’s about the re-identification and reclamation of our cultural identities,” said Kim Tilsen-Brave Heart.

Rebekah Jarvey, a Native American fashion designer, was one of only seven designers to participate in the Cannes Indigenous Fashion Festival in France. She says her designs are a way for people to connect and preserve their way of life.

“Its very important. It became a very contemporary way to do self preservation through our clothes and the stories. Its a very contemporary way like I said, but it is a new way, and its a way that our youth could connect and identify with and still preserve our culture and our way of life,” continued Jarvey.

The NDN march and activities lasted throughout the day. Attendees were able to enjoy Teepee demonstrations and traditional Native American dances and music. The gathering also featured Indigenous artists selling artwork and jewelry.