Indigenous Peoples' Day: Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday that celebrates the culture and commemorates the history of indigenous peoples of North America. It is observed in a growing number of communities in the United States, and occurs on the second Monday of October to coincide with the federal observance of Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day began as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day, which is a federal holiday in the U.S. but which is not recognized in all states. These words touch upon the effects of colonization and the increasingly popular movement to offer an alternative view on Columbus's legacy.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. colonization
    the act of settling a group of people in a new place
    He was an outspoken opponent of the destruction of Indian culture through colonization. The New Yorker (Sep 12, 2005)
  2. assimilation
    the process of absorbing one cultural group into another
    The word “assimilation” itself refers to the second phase of the colonisation process, the first step being “conquest” and the last “pacification”. The Guardian (Sep 22, 2016)
  3. indigenous
    originating where it is found
    The Los Angeles City Council voted to eliminate Columbus Day from the city’s calendar and replace it with a day honoring indigenous people. Los Angeles Times (Sep 25, 2017)
  4. heritage
    that which is inherited
    His efforts were so destructive that Indian tribes, unable to clearly trace their heritages, struggled for decades to receive federal recognition. Washington Post (Aug 2, 2017)
  5. culture
    all the knowledge and values shared by a society
    Many Native Americans say the missions cut their ancestors off from their traditional languages and cultures and enslaved those who converted to Christianity. – Seattle Times (Aug 20, 2017)
  6. tradition
    a specific practice of long standing
    The historical and cultural significance of tobacco in the United States - except for American Indian traditions - is built on marketing myths, nothing more. Washington Times (Oct 2, 2017)
  7. native
    relating to people inhabiting a region from the beginning
    They shared their concerns about celebrating Christopher Columbus and the history of mistreatment of Native Americans locally. Seattle Times (Sep 28, 2017)
  8. genocide
    systematic killing of a racial or cultural group
    Some activists view Christopher Columbus as a symbol of genocide for native peoples. Seattle Times (Oct 4, 2017)
  9. Native American
    pertaining to Indigenous people in living in the Americas or to their culture or languages
    Many Native Americans say the missions cut their ancestors off from their traditional languages and cultures and enslaved those who converted to Christianity. Seattle Times (Aug 20, 2017)
  10. activist
    advocating direct action to achieve social change
    But indigenous activists say the change is long overdue and provides at least a symbolic correction to the historical narrative. Los Angeles Times (Oct 3, 2017)
  11. narrative
    consisting of or characterized by the telling of a story
    But indigenous activists say the change is long overdue and provides at least a symbolic correction to the historical narrative. Los Angeles Times (Oct 3, 2017)
  12. myth
    a traditional story serving to explain a world view
    Frequently, myths about Europeans bringing a civilizing influence upon the “savage” indigenous populations were shared, learned, and taught to future generations, and these myths slowly engrained themselves in what became our collective interpretation of our national history. – The Huffington Post (Oct 3, 2017)
  13. aboriginal
    having existed from the beginning
    All of the north half and lands beyond into the Canadian border were in the tribes’ aboriginal territory pre-1900. Seattle Times (Aug 5, 2017)
Created on Wed Oct 04 14:01:32 EDT 2017 (updated Wed Oct 04 15:39:11 EDT 2017)

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