President Biden proclaims Oct. 9 as Indigenous Peoples Day

October 9 is officially Indigenous Peoples Day.

You can tell President Biden had a special place in his heart in proclaiming today as  Indigenous Peoples Day last week. One of his first appointments as President was to name Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior.

She became the first Native American to be placed in charge of the federal agency  that oversees the United States' tribal nations, long ignored and shunted aside by too many previous administrations.

The lionization of Christopher Columbus has drawn a significant amount of criticism for his attitude toward the people who were already here. The "discovery" of the new world (He though it was India)  triggered the decimation of civilizations and millions of native people.

However, making Columbus a hero is not as big a sin as the centuries of the erasure of Native American history and culture and making European expansionism and the focal point of so-called "progress" and the manifestation of racial expansionism and colonialism.

Many of today's problems, including the surge of anti-Asian hate and the growth of the white supremacist movement, stem from this warping of history.

Indigenous Peoples Day is one attempt to course-correct the telling of history towards the truth.

        RELATED: Christopher Columbus, hero or villain?

President Biden also issued the following proclaiming Oct. 9 a federal holiday to observe Indigenous Peoples Day:

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the perseverance and courage of Indigenous peoples, show our gratitude for the myriad contributions they have made to our world, and renew our commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

The story of America’s Indigenous peoples is a story of their resilience and survival; of their persistent commitment to their right to self-governance; and of their determination to preserve cultures, identities, and ways of life. Long before European explorers sailed to this continent, Native American and Alaska Native Nations made this land their home, some for thousands of years before the United States was founded. They built many Nations that created powerful, prosperous, and diverse cultures, and they developed knowledge and practices that still benefit us today.

But throughout our Nation’s history, Indigenous peoples have faced violence and devastation that has tested their limits. For generations, it was the shameful policy of our Nation to remove Indigenous peoples from their homelands; force them to assimilate; and ban them from speaking their own languages, passing down ancient traditions, and performing sacred ceremonies. Countless lives were lost, precious lands were taken, and their way of life was forever changed. In spite of unimaginable loss and seemingly insurmountable odds, Indigenous peoples have persisted. They survived. And they continue to be an integral part of the fabric of the United States.

Today, Indigenous peoples are a beacon of resilience, strength, and perseverance as well as a source of incredible contributions. Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations continue to practice their cultures, remember their heritages, and pass down their histories from generation to generation. They steward this country’s lands and waters and grow crops that feed all of us. They serve in the United States military at a higher rate than any other ethnic group. They challenge all of us to celebrate the good, confront the bad, and tell the whole truth of our history. And as innovators, educators, engineers, scientists, artists, and leaders in every sector of society, Indigenous peoples contribute to our shared prosperity. Their diverse cultures and communities today are a testament to the unshakable and unbreakable commitment of many generations to preserve their cultures, identities, and rights to self-governance. That is why, despite centuries of devastation and turmoil, Tribal Nations continue to thrive and lead in countless ways.

When I came into office, I was determined to usher in a new era in the relationship between the Federal Government and Tribal Nations and to honor the solemn promises the United States made to fulfill our trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations. That work began by appointing Native Americans to lead on the frontlines of my Administration — from the first Native American Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and dozens of Senate-confirmed Native American officials to the over 80 Native American appointees serving across my Administration and in the Federal courts. I restored the White House Council on Native American Affairs to improve interagency coordination and decision-making as well as the White House Tribal Nations Summit to bring together key members of my Administration and the leaders of hundreds of Tribal Nations.

Last year, I signed a new Presidential Memorandum that creates uniform standards for consultation between the Federal Government and Tribal Nations. And together, we are making historic investments in Indian Country. That includes $32 billion from the American Rescue Plan, the largest one-time direct investment in Indian Country in American history; more than $13 billion to rebuild infrastructure, the single largest investment in Indian Country infrastructure in history; and the biggest investment ever to combat the existential threat of climate change, including $700 million dedicated to climate change response in Native communities.

We are also working to improve public health and safety for Native Americans. That is why I signed an Executive Order that helps us respond more effectively to the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. And when we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act last year, I was proud to include historic provisions that reaffirm Tribal sovereignty and restore Tribal jurisdiction. I have also requested a $9.1 billion infusion for Indian Health Services and asked the Congress to make that funding a mandatory part of the Federal budget for the first time in our history.

My Administration will also continue using all the authority available to it, including the Antiquities Act, to protect sacred Tribal lands. We have already restored protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument in New England. I have declared new national monuments at the Camp Hale-Continental Divide in Colorado, Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada, and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni in Arizona to protect lands that are sacred to so many Tribes. My Administration has also signed at least 20 new co-stewardship agreements with Tribes, and we are working on many more.

As we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, may we renew the enduring soul of our Nation-to-Nation relationships — a spirit of friendship, stewardship, and respect.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 9, 2023, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

Biden's Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation is history in the making

Native Americans across the nation observed Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day.

President Biden is the first U.S. President to proclaim Oct. 11 as Indigenous Peoples Day. He also signed a separate proclamation for Columbus Day.

On Friday, in both proclamations, he sought to walk a thin line to allow Italian Americans to celebrate one of their heroes but also to present American history within the context of today's perspective instead of glorifying Christopher Columbus' voyage in 1492 and the subsequent exploitation and destruction of native civilizations.

In the Columbus Day proclamation, he honored the contributions to America of Italian Americans, who have turned the day into a celebration of all things Italian even though Christopher Columbus' infamous voyage was under the flag of Spain,

RELATED: Christopher Columbus, hero or villan?

In proclaiming Indigenous Peoples Day, Biden fulfilled a campaign pledge to the original inhabitants of the United States.

"In the first week of my Administration, I issued a memorandum reaffirming our Nation’s solemn trust and treaty obligations to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations and directed the heads of executive departments and agencies to engage in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials," he said in his historic proclamation.

"Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people — a promise that, despite the extraordinary progress we have made through the years, we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began," said Biden. 

"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."

He tempered the Columbus Day proclamation by reminding the nation of the true impact of arrival of European explorers and settlers on the America's

“Today, we also acknowledge the painful history of wrongs and atrocities that many European explorers inflicted on Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities,” Biden wrote. “It is a measure of our greatness as a Nation that we do not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past — that we face them honestly, we bring them to the light, and we do all we can to address them,” Biden said.

  

At the same time he honored and acknowledged the contributions of Italian Americans to the United States.

The Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation included American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians. It continued, "We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation, and terror wrought upon Native communities and Tribal Nations throughout our country."

In Hawaii, Discoverers' Day includes honoring the Polynesians who sailed to the island state.

Since the 1990s, a growing number of states have begun replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day — a holiday meant to honor the culture and history of Native Americans.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day has grown in popularity, either replacing or being celebrated along with Columbus Day in towns, cities, states and schools across the nation, according to the History Channel. 

In Hawaii, the day is observed as Discoverers' Day, “to honor all discoverers, including Pacific and Polynesian navigators.”

In much of Latin America, Columbus' arrival is known as Dia de la Raza.

With Deb Haaland, the first Native American Secretary of the Interior, by his side, Biden issued his proclamations on the same day the White House announced its plans to restore territory to two sprawling national monuments in Utah that Trump had stripped of protections from mining and fossil fuel interests. One, Bears Ears, is on land that Native American tribes consider sacred.

Native Americans and their supporters demonstrated in front of the White House today (Oct. 11) to protest oil pipelines transversing and endangering their reservations and water resources and to demand action on the climate crisis. Arrests were made when they disobeyed police orders to move on.

Following is Biden's Presidential Proclamation for Indigenous Peoples' Day:

Since time immemorial, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians have built vibrant and diverse cultures — safeguarding land, language, spirit, knowledge, and tradition across the generations. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.

Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people — a promise that, despite the extraordinary progress we have made through the years, we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began. 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.

In the first week of my Administration, I issued a memorandum reaffirming our Nation’s solemn trust and treaty obligations to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations and directed the heads of executive departments and agencies to engage in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials. It is a priority of my Administration to make respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-governance the cornerstone of Federal Indian policy. History demonstrates that Native American people — and our Nation as a whole — are best served when Tribal governments are empowered to lead their communities and when Federal officials listen to and work together with Tribal leaders when formulating Federal policy that affects Tribal Nations.

The contributions that Indigenous peoples have made throughout history — in public service, entrepreneurship, scholarship, the arts, and countless other fields — are integral to our Nation, our culture, and our society. Indigenous peoples have served, and continue to serve, in the United States Armed Forces with distinction and honor — at one of the highest rates of any group — defending our security every day. And Native Americans have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, working essential jobs and carrying us through our gravest moments. Further, in recognition that the pandemic has harmed Indigenous peoples at an alarming and disproportionate rate, Native communities have led the way in connecting people with vaccination, boasting some of the highest rates of any racial or ethnic group.

The Federal Government has a solemn obligation to lift up and invest in the future of Indigenous people and empower Tribal Nations to govern their own communities and make their own decisions. We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation, and terror wrought upon Native communities and Tribal Nations throughout our country. Today, we acknowledge the significant sacrifices made by Native peoples to this country — and recognize their many ongoing contributions to our Nation.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today. I encourage everyone to celebrate and recognize the many Indigenous communities and cultures that make up our great country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 11, 2021, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, observations, tips and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed for news and views from an AAPI perspective.