Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrated in Tucson

[ad_1]

TUCSON, Arizona (KOLD News 13) – On Friday, October 8th, President Joe Biden became the first in his position to announce Indigenous Peoples Day.

While local indigenous leaders believe the step is a step in the right direction, they recognize that more needs to be done.

In an area of ​​rich indigenous and Mexican heritage, Tucson has a Christopher Columbus Park.

“We’re on O’odham Land. We have this community that was founded on the legacy of the Tohono O’odham people, ”said Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, the Pima County Recorder.

Some are off today, but not Cazares-Kelly, a Tohono-O’odham woman. Her two children also went to school on Monday.

“They went to school, I had a job, the only person in our household who had a day off for Indigenous Peoples Day is my non-indigenous husband,” she said.

The first indigenous peoples day proclamation made history, but there is still no federal holiday while Columbus Day is established by Congress. Arizona State Senator Sally Ann Gonzales, D-Tucson, another Indigenous woman, said this was a step in the right direction but more needs to be done, especially as other nations have apologized.

“It’s a day for us to celebrate all of these accomplishments, but as a person pointed out to me on Twitter today, it’s still Columbus Day,” said Gonzales. “I encourage Arizona, Governor and President Biden really … to follow the example of Mexico and Canada.”

They hope that they will eventually have a meaningful day to celebrate with their communities, and both believe that today should also be about the achievements of indigenous peoples, from veterans to community leaders

“We really need to make it a state and federal holiday every year,” Gonzales said.

In his proclamation, the president said it was a day to recognize the “resilience and strength” of indigenous peoples, but also to “recognize the painful history of injustice and atrocities” that European explorers have inflicted on the tribes.

Indigenous Alliance without Borders is holding a virtual event with panels. Many other leaders made Indigenous Peoples Day statements today.

Arizona State Senator Victoria Steele said in a statement:

“It was long in sight. For centuries, US policy has deliberately tried to kill or assimilate and expel indigenous peoples. We are grateful to President Biden, the first incumbent president to issue a presidential proclamation on Indigenous Peoples Day. As Americans we have an obligation to know the full history of our country. Especially here in Arizona, wherever we go, we are entering indigenous land. There are approximately 6.8 million indigenous peoples in this land who are very much alive and our culture and that To finally celebrate the enormous contribution of the indigenous people to this country is a long overdue recognition. I am so glad that this finally happened in my lifetime. “

Copyright 2021 KOLD News 13. All rights reserved.

[ad_2]