Native Americans In Baltimore To Recognize Indigenous People's Day

BALTIMORE, MD - Native Americans in Baltimore are urging the city to consider replacing Columbus Day with a different celebration. The Baltimore American Indian Center, which was founded in 1968, is co-hosting Indigenous People's Day on Monday, Oct. 9.

Indigenous People's Day is a movement that has been taking place across the U.S., with states from California to Vermont getting on board. The idea is to shift the focus from European conquistadors toward native culture and history.

"Anything that contributes to the minimization or erasure of native people, whether it’s mascots or celebrations of genocide, has real-time impact on the lives of our people," Executive Director of Native American Lifelines Kerry Hawk Lessard (Shawnee) said in a statement.

There are more than 7,000 native Americans in the Baltimore metro area, officials said.

• Oldest Christopher Columbus Monument In U.S. Destroyed With Sledgehammer, Baltimore Police Say

"Rejecting painful reminders of the past and instead embracing the resilience and presence of Native people is an important step in the empowerment and healing of our communities," Lessard said.

The Baltimore City Council considered renaming Columbus Day as Indigenous People's Day but the bill in 2016 did not go through.

There will be a gathering for Indigenous People's Day at the Baltimore American Indian Center's Community Hall, 113 South Broadway, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9. Native American Lifelines, which provides health care to those in the greater Baltimore area, is co-sponsoring the event.

Dreamcatcher picture via Pixabay. Image of Baltimore American Indian Center via Google Streetview.