Indigenous Peoples’ Day will be celebrated Oct. 12, a date that usually is observed as Columbus Day.
Both were eventually rejected, but President Robert Henry wrote a proclamation Oct. 12, 2015, establishing an official day of celebration for Native American people.
“Our mission and values emphasize inclusiveness, diversity, and cross-cultural connections,” Henry wrote in the announcement.
Many students and faculty members applauded Henry for the proclamation. Russ Tallchief, director of student engagement, said he was especially grateful.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a response to Columbus Day,” Tallchief said. “It represents tremendous perseverance by native people and their tribes.”
The celebration will be from 12-1:30 p.m at the Chickasaw Warrior Garden on campus.
The ceremony is open to anyone in the Oklahoma City area, and includes a reading of Henry’s proclamation and a speech by trustee the Rev. David Wilson, OCU’s Choctaw spiritual leader.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day stems from the aftermath of Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act in 1830, when 67 tribes were removed forcibly from their homelands.
“They were treated like animals,” Tallchief said. “They were relocated to Oklahoma, and a lot of them found their way home, but most disintegrated.”
Tallchief said Henry’s actions were noteworthy because Columbus Day is hurtful for native people.
“It doesn’t really represent our history, especially in Oklahoma,” Tallchief said. “Columbus was credited with discovering America, yet there were millions and millions of indigenous people that were living here already. We’ve always been here.”
Oklahoma has the highest population of native people per capita, with 38 nationally-recognized tribes.
“Of all places, Oklahoma should celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” Tallchief said. “As a state, it has not.”
Tallchief said students should get more involved with issues concerning indigenous communities by joining OCU’s Native American Society.
To join or learn more, visit the Office of Student Engagement, Inclusion, and Multicultural Programs in Room 110 in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.
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