Happy Indigenous People’s Day! Here are 8 Ways to Celebrate from movies to watch to music to listen to books to read and events to go to.

First of what is Indigenous People’s Day? Well on the 2nd Monday of October each year Columbus Day is celebrated across the country. Being that Columbus was an evil man who raped, pillaged, Murdered, gave disease to, took over a country that wasn’t his, gave a false name to a group of very diverse people, and helped to start the transatlantic slave trade shipping billions of Africans over to this country like cattle, after turning the indigenous people into slaves. Now there are many cities and places in both north & south America and the Caribbean that have the name Columbus to celebrate his honor. But what honor is this? To my Indigenous and Black ancestors he was no friend. So why do we hype him up so much making us learn about his voyage here and the name of his boats at a young age is crazy. So that’s where Indigenous People’s Day came into play. People got tired of celebrating a murderer so cities across the country have now pronounced today Indigenous People’s Day to celebrate the original people of this land but to also remember that we are indigenous to the Earth.

So Now that You Know What this Holiday is Here are 10 Ways You Can Celebrate it:

Educate Yourself:

Go read a book or watch a video on the real Columbus and what he did to this countries first people. If all you know are the lies taught to you in school then you need a reality check real quick.

Support Standing Rock Water Protectors:

This Indigenous People’s day go and support Standing Rock and the water protectors who are still at the Sacred Stone Camp, Red Warrior Camp and others. They will be staying there through out the winter and could use your help to not freeze to death. People from all over the country and world are there and not everyone has ever experienced a harsh winter like that so the more people that can ship a below zero tent, sleeping bags and others stuff they need to keep warm. They will be up there until the “Black Snake” or pipeline is gone because Water is Life!

Watch some Movies and Videos on Indigenous People and Learn from them:

Indigenous people have many things to teach you if you only listen. Watch a few videos on how life really was like for them back then or watch videos depicting us from a modern day standpoint in a positive light.

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/28/11-essential-native-american-films-you-can-watch-online-right-now-158052?page=0%2C0

Listen to Dope Indigenous Music Artist:

There are many really great indigenous music artist that make our culture cool. They make there music for our people on the reservations yet a lot of it has caught on by non-Natives alike. Groups like A Tribe Called Red who just came out with an album are very good at taking our culture and making it fun to listen to. Other great artist to listen to are Frank Waln, Nataanii Means, and many others.

Read A Book about Indigenous People: 

There are many books written by Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike that depict us through the correct light. They show how we really lived and even have stories for kids to read. There are even books for teenagers who wanna learn more about this culture through young adult novels.

http://www.firstnations.org/books

http://www.houseofnightseries.com/

Watch this “Columbusing” Video: 

I’d seen this in a few places on my Facebook news feed back in 2014. College Humor took the liberty to start a new word for when white people take over something that was already around. It’s called “Columbusing” which takes it back to when Columbus thought he had “discovered” new land by taking over Turtle Island from the Natives.

Celebrate the Taino People and Other Island Tribes:

The Taino or the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico where the very first people to come in contact with Columbus and were the first to experience his brutality. Many don’t know much about the Tainos or many other Indigenous tribes of the islands although they all hold such beautiful cultures and are still around today.

Indigenous People’s Day is for Black Folks Too:

Although Indigenous People’s Day is said to be for the first nations of this country this holiday also celebrates the ancestors of the Black folks who were brought here from Africa during the Transatlantic Slave Trade which Columbus helped to start. We have a historical past of hating Columbus as well. Also there are indigenous people who are mixed with black ancestry like myself and there where also lots of tribes with dark skinned indigenous people like the Seminal, Choctaw, Cree, and many others .

Remember that Although It Is Called Indigenous People’s Day It Is for All Oppressed People of the USA:

Like I said that although this holiday was put together to celebrate and remember the first nations people’s ancestors doesn’t mean this holiday isn’t made for all people who have come to this country and experienced hardship and brutality from this system. From all the different struggles people of color go through still to this day that our ancestors fought to erase. We must also remember that the word indigenous can apply to everyone. We are indigenous to a land and are all indigenous to our Mother Earth.

Till Next Time…Happy Indigenous People’s Day & Remember We Are All Indigenous!

http://wakeup-world.com/2015/10/11/celebrating-genocide-christopher-columbus-invasion-of-america/