On Monday, Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated its second year of being recognized as a national holiday. The focus of Indigenous Peoples Day is to highlight Indigenous peoples and communities, their perspectives and histories in the education system.
Because there are more than 563 federally recognized tribal states in the U.S., each community celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day differently, said Megan Hetmaker, director of American Indian and Multicultural Affairs in Mankato, Minnesota.
“Communities are culturally, linguistically and historically different, so if you look at Minneapolis, the Minneapolis American Indian Center has had performers like hoop dancers or drum bands. In the last few years, we found books on Indigenous themes. That was really important,” Heutmaker said.
Over the weekend, MSU hosted a variety of events, including screenings of the movie “The Party” and a food truck and live music festival. While the Mankato City Council officially recognized Indigenous Peoples Day in 2018, it won’t be declared a national holiday until 2022. Last year, President Joe Biden announced that Indigenous Peoples Day would be celebrated on the second Monday in October, the same day as Columbus Day. For the city of Mankato, it was intentional to have it coincide on the same day, Heutmaker said.
“The purpose comes from the notion that the history we teach in schools and education systems focuses on one point of view. To say you found a place where hundreds of thousands of indigenous peoples already live is blatant,” Hurt said. Mack said. “Indigenous Peoples Day is trying to let us know more than just the dominant narrative we’ve been taught in schools for years.”
Indigenous Peoples Day has special significance in the city of Mankato, which is the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history. In December, President Abraham Lincoln ordered the execution of 38 Dakota men. January 26, 1862. Indigenous Peoples Day helps bring reconciliation and remembrance to Indigenous and American Indians, Heutmaker said.
“Mankato has a dark history with the American community, especially the Dakota community. Many of us on the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee have ties to Mahkato Wacipi, who coordinates history. The importance of continuing to host events like this shows that this small town American Indians are welcome,” Hetmaker said.
While the topic of American Indians has gotten more discussion over the past few years, Heutmaker said increasing awareness and representation of American Indians starts with the education system. Heutmaker added that while more accurate history needs to be taught, American Indians also need to be taught in modern society.
“In your sixth grade history class, you talk about everything down to the tear, and then you don’t really talk about it [American Indian history] . American Indian contributions are often hidden because we only teach a lot from a dominant historical perspective,” Hetmaker said. “The more we learn as a community, the more we can read written by native authors. Something we can get involved with understanding what Indigenous people are doing today. “
Heutmaker said people are always welcome to interact with First Nations in the community to better understand the accurate history of American Indians, keep the culture alive and understand that American Indians still exist.
“We’re still doing amazing things. We’re leaders, lawyers, doctors and teachers,” Heutmaker said. “We’re still here.”
Banner photo: Mankato has recognized Indigenous Peoples Day since 2018, but only last year did President Joe Biden declare the second Monday in October as National Indigenous Peoples Day. (Dylan Engel/Reporter)
write to Emma Johnson at emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu