Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the US. The celebration occurs every second Monday of October to honour cultures and histories of not only Native Americans in the US but also those in the Caribbean and the Americas, such as Taíno and Arawak people. By honouring and acknowledging those cultures and histories, we can also reflect on the historic and systemic mistreatment of Indigenous people and aim to give their descendants a better present and future.
Resources
- Who Were the Taíno, the Original Inhabitants of Columbus’ Island Colonies? (smithsonianmag.com)
- Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day With 15 Beautiful Photos That Capture the Richness of Native Culture (smithsonianmag.com)
- Indigenous Peoples Day offers a reminder of Native American history − including the scalping they endured at the hands of Colonists (theconversation.com)
- Searching for Cuba’s Pre-Columbian Roots (smithsonianmag.com)
- DNA analysis reveals the ‘extinct’ Taino people never died out (bigthink.com)