Indigenous People’s Day commemorates native communities that have lived in the Americas for thousands of years. In 1977, the international Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas sponsored by the United Nations discussed changing Columbus Day to Indigenous people day. The holiday was first established in Berkley, California, in 1992 and it was slowly adopted by other states. In 2021, President Biden proclaimed that it was a day to “honor America’s first inhabitants and the tribal nations that continue to thrive today.”
In the past Indigenous people have suffered from physical and verbal discrimination in the Americas, and to this day few groups are still targeted for their culture and identity. By discarding Columbus Day, it brings social awareness to discrimination issues and enacts the anti-discrimination movement towards indigenous people, encouraging them to embrace who they are with no restrictions.
The negative effects discrimination has brought upon indigenous people is the loss of jobs that brought down their economic status. In order to support indigenous communities, one can donate to indigenous organizations or shop in indigenous-founded businesses.
Indigenous tribes are immensely diverse, there are approximately 574 of Indian tribes and Alaskan native entities, one of those tribes being Inuit and Metis. A Inuit tradition is throat singing, it is a playful activity between women that consists of facing one another, using their throat and belly to expel sounds. Participants go back and forth, matching their partner’s rhythm and it goes as long as one of them starts laughing or goes silent. Throat singing it’s a beautiful moment that connects women in the tribe. Shina Novalinga, a TikTok user, recorded a throat singing album to share with others and inspire them to embrace their culture. For more information on Novalinga, you can visit her TikTok and Instagram account at @shinanova where she shares Inuit traditions and where the release of her throat singing album will be announced.
