Autumn aligns with several significant days for American Indian communities – Indigenous Peoples’ Day (the second Monday in October), the National Day of Mourning (the fourth Thursday in November), and November is National Native American Heritage Month.
At least 17 states and Washington, D.C., officially observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Our state is not one of them, although in 2017, Nashville’s Metro Council became one of the first capital cities in the South to officially recognize the day.
Today, leaders in the American Indian community sit down for a roundtable discussion about fall celebrations, declining diversity initiatives and why it’s important to continue celebrating their culture. Plus, we preview the Wilco Pow Wow and IndigeNash, Nashville’s first Indigenous arts festival.
This episode was produced by Mary Mancini & Jewly Hight.
Guests
- Rob Daugherty, enrolled citizen of the Cherokee nation, retired educator, author of Native American Major Leaguers; Master of Ceremonies for the Wilco Pow Wow
- Trenton Wheeler, member of the Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet) Tribe, musician & co-founder of IndigeNash
- Cindy Yahola, enrolled citizen, Muscogee (Creek) Nation & organizer of the Wilco Pow Wow
Further reading
- So What Exactly Is ‘Blood Quantum’? [NPR]
- Tennessee Indian Education Pow-Wow, hosted by the Native American Indian Association of Tennessee
- “For Many Native Americans, Fall Is The Least Wonderful Time Of The Year” [NPR Codeswitch]
- Staffing problems stall federal investigations of missing and killed Native people [MPR]
- Kuwohi name restored in the Smokies. Why does this matter? [The Wilderness Society]
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