October 12 was Indigenous People’s Day. It is also known as a federal holiday that recognizes the colonizer (whose name is not worth mentioning) who opened the floodgates of colonialism in North America. This holiday has been recognized in California, as well as several other jurisdictions, as Indigenous People’s Day. Indigenous People’s Day represents the harm, genocide, and displacement experienced by Indigenous people throughout history. But the day is about celebrating the Indigenous people of North America and uplift/recognize their efforts towards Indigenous Sovereignty.
Indigenous Sovereignty is very much a part of social justice. It is a part of social justice as its own movement, but also as part of other movements as it intersects with many social justice issues. Indigenous Sovereignty is part of climate change. It is part of mass incarceration. It is part of homelessness. It is part of the many issues created by institutional racism. Fighting white supremacy is fighting colonization is fighting for Indigenous Sovereignty.
The first step towards supporting Indigenous Sovereignty is to acknowledge the territory you live on: https://native-land.ca. Learn about their history and culture, and share with your friends.
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