Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day 2025

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated on the second Monday of October, acknowledges and celebrates the strength and resilience of Indigenous communities and peoples since European ships first arrived in North America in 1492. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is also a time to celebrate the cultures and contributions of Native people in the United States today. It is a reminder of the difficulties and hardships Indigenous peoples endured during colonization, including the loss of land and lives. Beyond remembrance, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a celebration of not just survival and resistance, but also the growing visibility of Indigenous voices in current times.

The word ‘Indigenous’ refers to the original inhabitants of a particular place. Following this, Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the first peoples to live on the land of the United States. Indigenous people have roots in American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Alaskan Native, and American Samoan ancestries and cultures. Each of these cultures has its own distinct practices, stories, knowledge, and systems, and these communities continue to contribute greatly to the aspects that make up society, such as the arts and governance.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is often celebrated in place of, or alongside, Columbus Day. However, the intent of Columbus Day is different, as it celebrates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in North America and the start of the “new world”. However, this “new world” had already been occupied by the Indigenous people, and this “new world” had never been truly new. By shifting the focus to celebrating Indigenous peoples, more communities and individuals are now honoring respect and a more complete understanding of the history of the United States.