Thread by @ajplus

Today is #IndigenousPeoplesDay, still observed by some as #ColumbusDay. In a #thread, @misscorinne86 of @powwows explains how the movement to reclaim the day began, and why focusing on Native issues is so important: (1/11)

The first officially recognized #IndigenousPeoplesDay in the U.S. started in 1989 when the South Dakota legislature passed a proposal by Governor Mickelson to make 1990 a "Year of Reconciliation" for the crimes of the past. (2/11)
aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?pag…

Though Native Americans have probably discussed the idea of an #IndigenousPeoplesDay since at least the 1970s, the idea gained popularity in 1992 when a group of Bay Area Natives pushed back on a planned reenactment of Columbus's arrival. (3/11)
ipdpowwow.org/IPD%20History.…

After this group protested in San Francisco, others followed in Denver, Boston, Columbus and Philadelphia. Each protest celebrated "500 years of resistance" – highlighting that Native Americans are still here, and refuse to celebrate a murderer. (4/11)

Why do Natives want a day celebrating their cultures? As Indigenous people of an occupied land, they expect and demand the recognition and respect of those who occupy it – and an understanding of important issues in Indian Country. (5/11)

Native American women, girls and 2spirits go missing and/or are murdered at a rate up to 10 times the national average. #MMIWG2S (6/11)
uihi.org/wp-content/upl…

Native and rural communities also continue to fight the #KXLPipeline and #NoLine3. Organizations like @BoldNebraska, and leaders within the Native community like @greggreycloud, @dallasgoldtooth, @Nataanii_Means and @WinonaLaduke, are working to stop these pipelines. (7/11)

Uranium poisoning is still affecting the Navajo Nation. Over a quarter of a million people across Arizona, Utah and New Mexico are potentially exposed. (8/11)
npr.org/sections/healt…

Natives are also standing up and demanding an end to the trend of Native mascots. To learn more about why this matters, follow @NotYourMascot, and read this article by @SimonMoyaSmith: (9/11)
cnn.com/2014/05/19/opi…

Another way to honor this day is by finding local #IndigenousPeoplesDay celebrations near you, or attending a powwow. Be ready to listen and to learn, but do not expect every Native to be willing to teach you.

Follow @powwows to find local celebrations year-round. (10/11)

In sum, #IndigenousPeoplesDay is about more than a land acknowledgment from your company or city hall. It needs to be about the willingness to work with the Indigenous people of the land you occupy, involving them directly in everything. Without that, words fall short. (11/11)