In Autumn, we celebrate two national holidays—Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Thanksgiving—that remind us of the people who were here long before settlers came. But this shift in even just acknowledging Native peoples is relatively new. Afterall, Columbus Day was only recently replaced by Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and the story of Thanksgiving is still largely whitewashed, conveniently glossing over the real story of genocide and racism.
So, if you have Indigenous Peoples’ Day off and Thanksgiving is a beloved family holiday for you, why not make these days even more meaningful by acknowledging the people who lived on this land well before settlers came? The cultures and histories of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas is vast and extraordinarily diverse but have been decimated, overlooked and ignored for centuries by colonizers. So, before you plan what you’re doing on your day off or look up recipes for that perfect turkey, why not give back to the people who were here first?