Out, About: Where to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and beyond

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The week before Columbus Day, sometime in early elementary school, I came home and started to proudly recite the poem I’d just learned: “In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean bl–”

My mom cut me off. “That man discovered nothing. We were already here.” She muttered to herself in Spanish — ironically. “At the very least, they could give us the day off,” she concluded.

Despite that household sentiment, this proud Boricua (the original term for “Puerto Rican” based off the native Taíno name for our island: Borikén) did not know about Indigenous Peoples Day until AP World History. Sadly, some of my Seminole classmates didn’t either.

Technically, it wasn’t a federally commemorated holiday until 2021, when President Joe Biden signed an executive order declaring the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day. Here in Middle Tennessee, the date coincides with another big celebration led by our Native neighbors.

Where can I celebrate?

First up, this weekend is a celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day, fittingly sponsored by the local Indigenous Peoples Coalition.

Event organizers, including frequent This Is Nashville guest Albert Bender, say the event will “honor the historic and continued contributions of Indigenous people both locally and nationally to the social, political and economic tapestry of the United States.”

The celebration, which is open to the public, will be at Pleasant Green Park in Goodlettsville beginning at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

How else can I celebrate?

Later this month happens to be the Native American Indian Association of Tennessee‘s 42nd annual pow wow.

As WPLN’s Alexis Marshall reported from last year’s pow wow, the event features traditional dances in brightly colored regalia, Native teachings, foods and crafts. It also educates to dispel misconceptions about Native people.

The year before — which WPLN’s Paige Pfleger had a blast covering — actually had such record attendance that it sharply increased the fee NAIA was asked to pay to hold the event at Long Hunter State Park again.

The group was hoping to work with lawmakers to keep the pow wow affordable and on state land for the foreseeable future. It’s still at the park this year, so hopefully at a lower cost. (If you go, you’ll likely see a WPLNer there who’s tracking down the answer to this very question… while enjoying the arts and food of the celebration.)

The annual pow wow takes place Oct. 20 through 22. Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and children — and cash-only at the gate.

Where can I educate myself?

This Is Nashville has highlighted Indigenous people and conservation efforts throughout the show’s history, including this episode on Middle Tennessee’s Native roots, but we can always learn more.

We are all on Native land, after all, and it’s good to know whose land it is. Native Land Digital, a Canadian nonprofit, created this interactive map to not only help you name the group behind the land where you’re reading this now, but also gives you resources to learn more about who they were and are today. (NPR dove more into how this project came together in a story last year, likely because it’s gone viral every year around Thanksgiving.)

For us in news, the Indigenous Journalists Association has been vital to us doing more good than harm in our coverage. Their digital guides are a starting point for anyone writing on these topics, but WPLN also went in on an IJA training together with the Tennessee Lookout and Chalkbeat last year that we still benefit from today.