Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 13 this year) is a day to honor and celebrate our histories and cultures, and our enduring presence as stewards of earth, air, and waters. Everyone is warmly invited to share in the festivities of this day, with respect and gratitude.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
Dances on the Santa Fe Plaza
10 am Danza Azteca de Anahuac (Taos area)
11 am Poeh Cultural Center (Pojoaque Pueblo)
1 pm Soaring Eagle Dance Group (Zuni Pueblo)
2 pm The Pueblo Enchantment Dancers (Acoma Pueblo)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
Dances on the Santa Fe Plaza
11 am Water Strider Dance Group (Zuni Pueblo)
1 pm The Pueblo Enchantment Dancers (Acoma Pueblo)
2 pm Acoma Family Dance Group (Acoma Pueblo)
3 pm Lighting Boy Hoop Dancers (Tewa Pueblos of N. New Mexico)
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
10:30 am – 4 pm
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration with free admission to the museum all day, generously sponsored by Sandia Resort & Casino. Activities include gathering Cota tea, face painting, storytelling, and dances. See full schedule here.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13
Third Annual Honoring Native Nations Pow Wow
9 am – 4:30 pm
Santa Fe Plaza
Hosted by Santa Fe Indigenous Center
All Native Nations are invited to come together for a day of celebrating our rich and diverse cultures. We invite dancers, guest drum groups, royalty, tribal dignitaries to join us. Bring your flag for the parade of nations! The day begins at 9 am with an opening prayer and land acknowledgment. Grand Entry is at 12 noon. See full schedule here.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
9 am – 9 pm
2401 12th St NW, Albuquerque
Join the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center as we commemorate and celebrate the resilience of the Indigenous People of the Western Hemisphere. On this day we honor the past, celebrate the present, and build a future where Indigenous Voices are heard and respected. See full schedule here.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
Santa Fe County Commission meeting
2 pm
102 Grant Avenue, Santa Fe, NM
TWU Co-Director Dr. Corrine Sanchez will speak at the Board of Santa Fe County Commission meeting on October 14. During this time, the Commission will introduce a proclamation that recognizes Indigenous People’s Day. The Board’s intention is to highlight the role of indigenous women leaders and the tremendous impact that Tewa Women United has made and continues to make in Santa Fe County, Northern New Mexico and our larger Pueblo and Tribal communities, women and families.
A SPECIAL NOTE AND RESOURCES FOR NON-NATIVE FOLKS…
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to commit or re-commit to learning about meaningful allyship and how to practice it. This is more than just a one-day action, but today can offer a focal point. Questions to contemplate (with thanks to Andrea Landry):
- How has my family benefitted from the past and present colonization and genocide of the original peoples of these lands?
- How did my family gain access to originally Indigenous lands?
- What legacy does my family have in the role of colonization?
- How am I continuing to benefit from colonization today?
Your honest reflections will allow you to come from a place of integrity when engaging in issues that impact Indigenous people. Also please consider reading the book Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair by Hilary Giovale. Elder Kathy Sanchez of TWU says of this book:
“Becoming a Good Relative offers a pathway for settler colonial peoples to comprehend other ways of seeing and feeling the world, and to unlearn the deeply misguided values inherited from a culture of violence. I highly recommend Hilary’s book and the practices within it as a tool to help reclaim soulfulness and grow a culture of peace and caring love for self and others.”
DONATE
This is a wonderful month to direct some of your financial resources in support of Indigenous organizations that work hard every day to protect land and waters, to address and remedy longstanding inequities, to decolonize. Please consider donating to Native-led nonprofits. Here are a few suggestions (please note this list is not meant to be definitive):