Indigenous Peoples Day

In 1992 Berkeley, California became the first city in the world to officially celebrate October 12 as Indigenous Peoples Day. This book is for people everywhere who want to know more about Indigenous Peoples Day, where it came from, what it's all about, and who want to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day in your part of the world. This is both a documentary history and an oral history, a compilation of how we did it, and a practical manual or guidebook of sorts, with some cautionary tales. Over 70 other U.S. cities and states have since joined, including Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco, St. Paul, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Spokane, Santa Fe, Salt Lake City, Nashville, Santa Cruz, Bangor, Grand Rapids, Akron, Olympia, Anadarko, Tulsa, Sebastopol, Nevada City, Madison, Richmond (Ca), Ann Arbor, Vermont, Minnesota, and Alaska. Indigenous Peoples Day is also celebrated in numerous communities by groups, organizations, schools, tribes, and friends. Indigenous Peoples Day is a fast growing movement. In addition, South Dakota celebrates Native American Day and Hawaii now honors the Polynesian explorers. 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of the first Berkeley Indigenous Peoples Day, and the 525th anniversary of the European invasion of the Americas, 1492-2017. "This book is a treasure, a collective project of both oral and documentary history of a quarter of a century organizing, which continues. Every activist and engaged teacher will find the Berkeley Indigenous Peoples Day book indispensable." Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States. "Reading this book is like multi-tasking reviewing the past, evaluating the present and planning and plotting for the future. Let this book serve you as you move forward to building a movement of resistance. After you read it, share it with your family and friends. It could change our world " Nina Serrano, poet, KPFA radio producer, and participant in the first Indigenous Peoples Day "This is the first authentic history of Indigenous Peoples Day, a detailed history by those who lived it, and an invaluable "how-to" handbook for other communities who want to do the same. It is a must-read for all indigenous activists." Nanette Deetz (Dakota, Cherokee) poet, writer, journalist with Bay Area News Group, Native News Online, and Tribal Business Journal.