Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020
October 12, 2020
Today we recognize Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Indigenous tribes with celebrations across our university system in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ upholds Indigenous Peoples’ Day with culturally relevant events in honor of the Indigenous people of this land who have thrived and survived in Â鶹´«Ã½ for more than 10,000 years.
On this day we also acknowledge the history of violence, forced assimilation, discrimination and injustice inflicted upon Â鶹´«Ã½ Natives, and how that trauma and stigma is still felt. At the university, we come together in our commitment to the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages, cultures and traditions, and recognize the critical need for integration of traditional knowledge into our curriculum and pedagogy. It is vital for all of us to do our part to re-examine what we have been taught to believe about our history, and to recognize the contributions of the First Â鶹´«Ã½ns to the past, present and future of our state.
This commemoration was first discussed in 1977 at a United Nations-sponsored conference where the issue of discrimination against Indigenous populations in the U.S. was raised. Thirty-eight years later, former Governor Bill Walker issued a proclamation making Â鶹´«Ã½ the first state in the nation to officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day rather than Columbus Day. The Â鶹´«Ã½ Legislature made it official in 2017 when it passed HB 78, permanently establishing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. While the legacy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus has been celebrated on the second Monday in October, Â鶹´«Ã½ chose to recognize our Â鶹´«Ã½ Native ancestors who as explorers, inventors and leaders built Â鶹´«Ã½.
Today is about more than remembrance, it is a day of solidarity. Please join me in coming together to celebrate the rich culture, heritage, and achievements of Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Indigenous Peoples.
Sincerely,
Pat Pitney
Interim President, University of Â鶹´«Ã½