Zief Law Library Celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Legal History, Events, and Resources

Posted on by Randall Seder

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY 2024: OCTOBER 14TH

In celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Zief Library Assistant Randall Seder takes a look at the social and legal history of the day, highlights Zief research resources, and presents some Bay Area events of interest.

Image of a Navajo woman wearing a shirt that says, "Natives Vote: Every Vote Counts." The image is from Patty Ferguson-Bohnee's 2020 article, "How the Native American Vote Continues to be Suppressed,” from the American Bar Association website.
“I will never forget the Navajo grandmother who spoke only Navajo and could not vote after Arizona passed its voter ID law in 2004…The system failed to consider her reality as a Navajo woman and failed to value her as a voter. Fortunately, she was persistent in exercising her right to vote, but not all voters are, nor should they have to be…” “How the Native American Vote Continues to be Suppressed,” Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, 2020, American Bar Association website.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY HISTORY

Join the Zief Law Library in celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 14th, 2024. Indigenous Peoples Day is an official city and state holiday in various jurisdictions within the United States. The holiday acknowledges Indigenous resilience, sovereignty, and diverse cultural heritage, as well as commemorates their immeasurable contributions to United States history, culture, and the law.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates the cultural and ethnic identities of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, including members of the 574 “Federally Recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Entities” as well as “non-federally recognized tribes” such as Chinook Indian Nation, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Ohlone/Costanoan Esselen Nation, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, and Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

The image shows the International Indian Treaty Council's report cover in Treaty Council News, Vol. 1, No.7, October 1977.
International Indian Treaty Council’s report back in Treaty Council News, Vol. 1, No.7, October 1977. A Documentary History of the Origin and Development of Indigenous Peoples Day curated by John Curl. Part 1, “The Geneva Conference, 1977.”

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October alongside or in place of Columbus Day. It was first proposed at the 1977 Geneva United Nations International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day. Over 250 people participated in the conference; delegates represented over sixty Indigenous peoples and Native nations, from fifteen North and South American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, the United States, and Venezuela), as well as representatives and observers from over fifty international non-profit organizations, United Nations agencies, and UN member states. During the conference, representatives gave evidence of how global colonization robbed Indigenous communities around the world of their land, resources, cultural heritage, sovereignty, and self-determination. The Conference’s Final Resolution stated the long-term effects of colonization on Indigenous communities, including discrimination and cultural appropriation; social-economic marginalization; intergenerational trauma; lack of representation; and cultural alienation. Representatives then proposed ways to achieve cultural reparations through projects, agendas, and activist groups; one idea among dozens was Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Images of the Indigenous Peoples' Day Pow Wow in Berkeley, CA, 2023. Photo courtesy of Sabah Williams’ “Berkeley’s Indigenous Peoples' Day Pow Wow 2023,” Community Rising, published October 18, 2023.
Top: Indigenous Peoples’ Day Pow Wow Committee, Berkeley, CA 2023. Bottom: Prettiest Shawl Contest at Berkeley’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day Pow Wow 2023. Both images from Sabah Williams’ “Berkeley’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day Pow Wow 2023,” Community Rising, published October 18, 2023.

In 1981, Indigenous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representatives from the 1977 conference met again to discuss evolving international standards concerning Indigenous rights and reaffirm the declaration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Still, other projects seeking international recognition and funding took precedence. Indigenous Peoples’ Day achieved traction in the United States in 1989 when South Dakota Governor George Mickelson first proposed the change from Columbus Day to “Native Americans Day” (now termed “Indigenous Peoples Day”). The state’s legislature made it law in 1990.  In 1992, the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas marked a definite change; many United States cities began formally discussing the transition from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Berkeley, California was among the first US cities to adopt Indigenous Peoples’ Day and has continued to celebrate annually. This year, Berkeley will celebrate the city’s 32nd Indigenous Peoples Day Pow Wow & Indian Market.

Despite abundant national support from government officials and academic institutions, Indigenous Peoples’ Day continues to face challenges regarding recognition and national acceptance. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a state observance in 30 states and a state holiday in 3 states and 1 federal district, but the day is not a recognized holiday under U.S. Federal Law. President Joseph Biden was the first American president to give a nationwide presidential proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October of 2021. In his speech, President Biden acknowledged how difficult it has been for Indigenous People’s Day to gain support. He stated:

“For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures.  Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society. We also recommit to supporting a new, brighter future of promise and equity for Tribal Nations — a future grounded in Tribal sovereignty and respect for the human rights of Indigenous people in the Americas and around the world.”

Biden also emphasized their countless contributions to public service, entrepreneurship, scholarship, science and medicine, the arts, and the United States armed forces. In 2022 and 2023, President Biden also issued proclamations honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Mvskoke Nation poet, musician, playwright, and author Joy Harjo; Retired United States Naval Aviator, engineer, and former NASA astronaut, John Bennett Herrington; and Olympic gold medal surfer Carissa Moore.
Left: Mvskoke Nation poet, musician, playwright, and author Joy Harjo. Harjo was the 23rd United States Poet Laureate from 2019-2022; she was the first Native to hold the title and also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to have served three terms. Photo by Shawn Miller, 2019. Library of Congress Free Use Image Library.
Middle: Retired United States Naval Aviator, engineer, and former NASA astronaut, John Bennett Herrington. In 2002, Herrington became the first enrolled citizen of a North American Indigenous tribe to fly in space; Herrington is a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation. Photo courtesy of the NASA archives websites.
Right: Carissa Moore, the first-ever winner of the Olympic gold medal in women’s shortboard surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Moore was one of three Native Hawaiian United States Olympic athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Moore is also a five-time world champion, winning in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2021 on the World Surf League WSL Women’s World Tour. Photo courtesy of the NBC Olympic coverage website.
New York Times best-selling author Tommy Orange reads from his 2019 American Book Award-winning novel, There There, at Duke University’s Kenan Institute “Ethics of Now” series. Orange’s book explores identity, belonging, and indigenous experience in the United States. Orange is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He currently lives in Oakland, California.
New York Times best-selling author Tommy Orange reads from his 2019 American Book Award-winning novel, There There, at Duke University’s Kenan Institute “Ethics of Now” series. Orange’s book explores identity, belonging, and indigenous experience in the United States. Orange is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He currently lives in Oakland, California.

Below, you will find research resources and upcoming Bay Area Indigenous events. The Zief Law Library encourages you to continue celebrating and studying Indigenous authors, lawyers, activists, policymakers, and other trailblazing scholars throughout Native American Heritage Month in November!  

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY BOOKLIST

Five book covers from the Indigenous Peoples' Day booklist.
Five book covers from the Indigenous Peoples’ Day booklist.

To explore books from the Zief Law Library collection written by Indigenous authors and/or discussing Indigenous experiences regarding the law, please explore the Zief catalog. Relevant topics include American Indian Law; Indigenous rights; sovereignty; land rights, human geography, and diaspora; climate change; water law; religion and the law; health law; cultural heritage; intellectual property (cultural appropriation); and education.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Indigenous muralists Diego Irizarry, (left; 28; Pueblo and Taino), and Drew Valencia (right; 43; Ohlone and Kashia Pomo) work on a new mural at 18th and Mission Street that celebrates Native people in San Francisco, California.
Left: Indigenous muralists Diego Irizarry, (left; 28; Pueblo and Taino), and Drew Valencia (right; 43; Ohlone and Kashia Pomo) work on a new mural at 18th and Mission Street that celebrates Native people in San Francisco, California. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/ CatchLight Local. Right: Mural details of an Ohlone woman holding a basket. San Francisco, California, on June 27, 2024. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local. “Three New Murals In S.F. Celebrate Indigenous People, LGTBQ+ and Healthcare,” Veronica Brehmer and Royvi Hernández. July 17, 2024.

Monday, October 14th, 2024: “Annual Sunrise Gathering On Alcatraz Island, Commemorating 532 Years of Indigenous Resistance, Cultural Resiliency and Survival In The Americas.”  Boats will depart from Pier 33 at 4:15, 4:30, 5:00, and 5:15 AM on the morning of October 14th, 2024. All boats return by 9:00 AM. Tickets $12.00, children under 5 are free. The ticket office opens at 4:00 AM. Limited tickets will be on sale on the day of the event. Visit the event page on the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) website for more information.

Monday, October 14th, 2024: SF’s FREE Indigenous Peoples Day at Yerba Buena Gardens. 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm at Yerba Buena Gardens, 773 Mission St., San Francisco, California. Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day at Yerba Buena Gardens with Native art, music, dancers, speakers, and vendors. There will be a large, diverse, and talented community of Indigenous artists from the Bay Area and beyond.

Are you interested in more event resources or want to plan ahead for Native American Heritage Month? Explore the list below to find cultural festivals, educational workshops and lectures, community gatherings, and more!

Bay Area Event Resources:

A photograph of the sunrise over Alcatraz Island, San Francisco. Photo taken by Casey Horner in 2018.
“A New Day,” Casey Horner, March 21st, 2018. Sunrise over Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, United States. Unsplash.com

Online Event Resources:

REFERENCES and ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

DID WE MISS SOMETHING?

The author of this blog post does not identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian. If you have concerns regarding terminology or historical content on this page, please notify the author by emailing Randall Seder at rseder@usfca.edu.