Salem Indigenous Now will host its 5th annual Indigenous Peoples Day event on Monday.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes the history and legacy of Native Americans, who have lived in Oregon and across the U.S. since time immemorial. It also recognizes the negative impacts of colonialism on Native communities and the history involved.
The day is also meant to bring people together to celebrate native culture.
This year’s event theme is “resistance is in existence,” said organizer Hannah Shooting Bear, who is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It’s the same theme as last year “because as far as everyone is concerned, what’s going on in our community, nothing has changed,” she said.
Monday’s free event to be held at the Salem Gerry Frank-Salem Rotary Amphitheater will include speakers who will share their thoughts on the theme, and the needs of the community. The event also will provide opportunities for cultural understanding and celebration through dance and other performances, highlighting local resources.
“Another (reason it’s important) is just to let the community know that even though we’re from different tribes, we still come on a common ground of what we believe, our religion, our dances,” she said. “We may come from different cultures, but we all come to a same common ground.”
This event has grown over the last five years from just three primary organizers to 12 volunteers last year, to now 27 volunteers this year. More vendors will be involved this year, and they’ve been collaborating with other local Native American programs and parent advisory committees within the Salem-Keizer School District.
There will also be a free dinner provided. Before the event, there will be a memorial walk and run for the children who died and suffered abuse at the Chemawa Indian School.
“It takes a community to do this,” Shooting Bear said. “And coming to five years from when we first started at the state Capitol building on one rainy day, it has proved to us that the community wants more. They want to understand more.”
Shooting Bear said she has a vision of working more closely in the future with the children in the community, to help them learn native cultural traditions, and reconnect with that part of their identity. She also hopes such events can begin the healing for Indigenous people in the community.
“Seeing the children run around, seeing our elders laugh and smile, seeing our dancers enjoy the music, and seeing our spectators being involved and wanting to understand our cultures and artists or how we live on a daily basis… it puts my heart at joy,” she said.
For more information about the event, visit the Salem Indigneous Now Facebook page and event.
What: Salem Indigenous Now’s 5th Annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day event
Where: Gerry Frank-Salem Rotary Amphitheater
When: Monday, Oct. 10, from 1-6 p.m.
Price: Free
Jordyn Brown is an Oregon journalist who formerly worked for the Eugene Register-Guard.
