Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Stories - with Kaitlin B. Curtice

Home
Progressive Christian
Why Every Day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Why Every Day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Last updated on: October 11, 2017 at 8:23 am by Kaitlin B. Curtice

Why Every Day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2017-10-11T08:23:56-04:00 Kaitlin B. Curtice

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Step out and beyond.

There are invisible realities in the world, stories the history books cannot tell us.

Put your bare foot into the water of a river or a lake and let it remind you– there are unspoken histories that can only be honored, felt, often misunderstood.

Because so many of us walk around with invisible prison bars around us. We are bound by our currencies, our schedules, our loud voices and un-listening ears.

Do you wat to know why every day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

It is because of the land.

It is because of the rivers and rocks, mountains and trees.

It is because the dirt still holds our feet to the ground and the fires that still burn. The forest trees still shed their leaves, the wind still blows, the waters still erode the rocks to create stones that we skip across her reflective face.

You see, we belong to the land, not the other way around.

That is a constant lesson that indigenous peoples are taught, that we continue to learn, that we wish others learn as well.

She is our storyteller, our creation keeper.

She continues to re-create us, to tell us our own story.

So we take the sage and sweetgrass, tobacco and cedar, and while we let their smoke rise over us, we listen.

For non-native people, the stories are still there.

People still came before.

Learn their names.

Learn their stories.

That takes more than an afternoon, doesn’t it? It takes more than resisting a colonial holiday?

And so, every day we continue to learn. Every day that I look in the mirror, I celebrate that I am indigenous. That I am still here.

Every word I write is to bring us closer to the Kingdom of God, God who sees and knows my Potawatomi blood, who mourns when I mourn and celebrates when I raise my head and pray in my native language, Migwetch, Mamogosnan. Migwetch Mamogosnan.

Every day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day because our histories tell our stories, our language tethers us to each other and this earth, and while we are here, there is justice to be done. There are wrongs to be made right, and there is healing on the horizon.

Will you join me there, beyond our prisons? Will you join me on the other side?

Community & One Another

Native American Spirituality

Politics & Social Justice

Prayer

Remembrance

#indigenouspeoplesday

America

creation

indigenous people

Indigenous Peoples Day

Native Land

the church and native americans

the land

Previous Post

October 4, 2017

Redeeming the Bible From American Evangelicalism

Next Post

November 1, 2017 DAY 1: 7 Grandfather Teachings

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent 2016 Adventure Community & One Another Contemplation Lent 2016 Lessons Motherhood Native American Heritage Month 2017 Native American Spirituality Politics & Social Justice Prayer Remembrance Seven Gratitudes Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 August 2013 March 2013 February 2013 November 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz