Indigenous People’s Day

1. In Bellingham and the surrounding area of Whatcom County, we are on the traditional territories of the Lummi, the Nooksack, the Semiahmoo, and the Samish people. Indigenous People have existed and taken care of these lands for centuries before first contact with settlers in 1492. Yet, since 1937, Christopher Columbus is celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October for being the first person to discover what is now known as America. In 1989, the 2nd Monday of October was renamed Indigenous People’s Day after years of Indigenous People advocating for a day to celebrate Indigenous cultures rather than Columbus Day which celebrated a person who carried out colonization and genocide. At Whatcom Community College, I am a student, and I am also Indigenous, more specifically Lummi and Assiniboine. For the past two years, I have been active with the planning of Indigenous People’s Day events on campus.
2. As we learn about Indigenous People’s Day, we will see how important it is in telling the correct history and in providing an opportunity to celebrate our cultures.
3. To get a better understanding of Indigenous People’s Day, we will look at the history, the purpose, and how Bellingham celebrates.

A. The history of Indigenous People’s Day starts with Christopher Columbus and the misconceptions of him discovering America.

• • • India
    • Bahamas
    • Gold and Artifacts
    • Disease

We see that this telling of the Columbus story erases Indigenous people and the trauma that was caused, which is why Indigenous People’s Day has become more widely celebrated by Indigenous tribes.

B. Indigenous People’s Day is the first holiday to celebrate and uplift Indigenous people and their identities.

1. 1. • 562 Federally Recognized tribes
      • Traditions and culture
      • Representation
      • Creates community

Now that there is a basic understanding of the history and purpose of Indigenous People’s Day, we can look at how Bellingham celebrates.

C. In Bellingham, Indigenous People’s Day is filled with events from NWIC, WCC, and WWU.

• • • Planned by Indigenous students and faculty
    • Performances and storytelling
    • Traditional Foods
    • Coast Salish History

4. In the past, Indigenous history has been glossed over and told, so that it highlights historical figures that caused harm. When we seek out and advocate for truth we are learning and understanding about how important cultural events are to the community and those whose identities are being shown, even in Bellingham, we can see a rise in Indigenous representation because of that importance.

5. In addition to the information provided, celebrating your culture and identity really comes from learning from your history and stories from your elders. It would be nice to learn more about each one of your cultures and maybe even attend an event, that you’ve taken part in, to showcase that identity.