by Denise Gieseke
European colonization of North America included the forcible, and often brutally violent, replacement of culturally rich Native communities. Indigenous peoples endured genocide, the forced assimilation of their children in Christian boarding schools, and relocation to inhospitable reservations following devastating population losses.
The violence persists to this day – with the unchecked assault and murder of Indigenous people on their own sovereign lands; an epidemic of missing and murdered Native women, girls, and two-spirits; the removal of Native children from their families and cultures; and the imprisonment of revered activists like Leonard Peltier. Our shared history is haunting; we must acknowledge and confront it to move forward.
In Massachusetts – the original territory of the Massachusett, Aquinnah Wampanoag, Mashpee Wampanoag, Pawtucket, Nipmuk, and Pocumtuck – it is crucial to support the Indigenous People’s Legislative Agenda, which includes five critical pieces of legislation:
- Replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day — The impacts of European atrocities remain today and are no cause for celebration.
- Protect Native American Heritage — Native American sacred and funerary objects are of cultural, traditional, or historical importance and belong to their tribes of origin. Proposed legislation would prohibit governments, municipalities, and non-profits from selling these items for profit.
- Remove Racist Mascots — Racist mascots promote one-dimensional stereotypes, and Native American youth are particularly vulnerable to this dehumanization.
- Celebrate and Teach Native American Culture and History — The lack of Indigenous curriculum in Massachusetts public schools contributes to romanticizing settler colonialism and perpetuates systemic racism.
- Educate Native Youth — Establishing a permanent commission to improve educational outcomes and opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native students could both teach students about their heritage, languages, and histories while preparing them for higher education.
As progressive activists, we must support these bills, taking the first steps toward restorative justice. To make a positive impact, I encourage you to contact your elected officials through calls, written letters, or customized emails to voice your support and attend the Massachusetts Indigenous Legislative Agenda Rally and Advocacy Day at the State House in Boston on June 15, from 11:30 — 1:00.
Suggested Reading:
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The Red Deal, by The Red Nation
Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann
The Rediscovery of America, by Ned Blackhawk
As We Have Always Done, by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Suggested Websites:
MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda
United American Indians of New England — Mark your calendars now to attend the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth on November 23, 2023.
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