Indigenous Peoples Day, which falls annually on the second Monday of October, is a chance to celebrate the contributions and living cultures of Indigenous peoples. “Indigenous people” usually refers to a people who are the original inhabitants of a place and whose lifeways, language, and spirituality profoundly connected to their homeland. Here in what we now call Bellingham and the surrounding areas, Indigenous peoples include Lummi Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Samish Indian Nation, as well as First Nations just north of the border.
Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley, a fisher, member of the Lummi Nation, President of the Sacred Lands Conservancy, and co-author of this piece, says “We’ve literally always been here, and even though there have been efforts to erase us from our lands and from the history books, we’re still here. Indigenous Peoples Day is a good start towards seeing us and all Indigenous peoples, recognizing our sovereignty, and respecting the relationships we have with our lands and waters.”
For those of us who are not Indigenous, it is a chance to learn about and reflect on true—if painful—histories; to honor the resilience of these communities; and to work towards a healed and healthy future for us all. Much like land acknowledgments, Indigenous Peoples Day can be a step towards mutual understanding, respect, and affection. Also like land acknowledgments, Indigenous Peoples Day is most powerful when it is the first step among many. Here are some possible next steps:
Learn about the territory on which you live, work, and play. What mountains, islands, waters, forests, and fields define the place you call home? Do some still bear their ancient names? On whose land do you stand? (If you don’t know, you can search native-land.ca.) How might you learn about, engage with, and support your local Native communities? Many nations, tribes, and organizations hold public events and festivals. For instance, check out the Treaty Day Film Festival in Bellingham every January; Lummi Nation’s Stommish Water Festival every June; and the Indigeversal Collective Murals year-round down at the waterfront. Local Native-led non-profits like Children of the Setting Sun Productions, Se’Si’Le, House of Tears Carvers, Gathering of the Eagles, Healing through Hope, and White Swan Environmental, and many Native artists, storytellers, musicians, fishermen, educators, business people, and leaders are all actively working in our communities. Watch for Indigenous Peoples Day events on your community calendars.
Learn about and uphold the Treaties. The Point Elliott Treaty of 1855 is a treaty between the United States and various tribes (all federally recognized tribes are also sovereign nations, capable of entering into such treaties). It allows those of us who are not members of the signatory tribes to live in the area that is roughly west of the Cascades and north of Seattle (inclusive). As citizens of the United States, it is our obligation to ensure that Treaty promises are protected and fulfilled. One of the most significant Treaty clauses guarantees the right to fish, as salmon has always been the backbone of Coast Salish life. While our waters once nurtured a breathtaking abundance of salmon, that is no longer the case. Dams, pollution, fish farms, and other harms to habitat have created a salmon crisis. There are not enough fish in the sea to support the lifeways and livelihoods of all tribal members who are due such. We honor the Treaty by working to protect and revitalize these lands and waters, so that the wild Pacific salmon and other native marine life can return to their natural great numbers and be sustained. (Here, we can see that upholding Treaty rights, respecting Native sovereignty, caring for Mother Earth, and caring for one another are all connected efforts!)
Learn about broadly Indigenous principles and worldviews, and let them unfold in their own way in your heart. While “Indigenous” contains a multitude of unique cultures throughout the world, one aspect held in common is a spiritual, practical, reciprocal relationship with the places they lived in for millennia. Principles like “take only what you need and never take it all” ensure ongoing harvests. Asking permission, saying thanks, and expressing humility in our relationships with nature fosters a sense of kinship and care. Books like Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Braiding Sweetgrass” and Tyson Yunkaporta’s “Sand Talk” are good introductions to some Indigenous ways of knowing and being. This is not about denying your own culture or appropriating somebody else’s; it is about learning how to (re)connect with Mother Earth and all of creation. When you understand that every living being, every rock, and every drop of water is a relation, then you know yourself to be part of a great family. There is such joy in belonging.
Follow, support, and collaborate with Indigenous / Native leadership. Indigenous peoples have been living in sacred relationship to place since time immemorial; they caretake our homelands with many thousands of years’ worth of experience and wisdom. Our world is hurting right now in many ways. Ancestral wisdom can help guide us into a good future, as it has proven to be durable and life-affirming in a way that more extractive policies have not. When Indigenous people speak up, advocate, protest, or suggest policies—listen and support them. They are protecting our shared home here on this beautiful earth, and they know that we are all family, and in this together.
