The 5th Annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly was a huge success thanks to the support received from the City of Philadelphia, funders, individual donors, allies, and those in support of getting rid of Christopher Columbus Day.
Featured Image: Tatanka Gibson (Nansemond/Saponi of Hollister) with Carrie Helm (Mashpee Wampanoag) aka Dawnland Dancer. Photo by Dave Tavani
EVENT RECAP
The event celebrated a variety of Indigenous styles of music, art, and performance. It brought together various Indigenous cultures from all around America to Shackamaxon (Penn Treaty Park) to celebrate our heritage and culture. Shackamaxon is an ancestral territory of the Lenni-Lenape known also as Delaware — the original inhabitants of Lenapehoking and (a territory colonially known today New York, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware).
This year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly also was a notable occasion. Earlier this year, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced that the city will celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the first time!
THANK YOU
This pivotal historical moment would not have been possible without all the hard work by numerous Native community members and activists that laid the foundation since 2011 such as Brujo de la Mancha (Native Mexican), founder of Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac (OYC) who participated this year with Campatlanezi; Vaughnda Hilton, founder and artistic director of Native Nations Dance Theater (NNDT); and elders such as her mother Pauline Songbird (Seminole and Cree).
In addition, we are so grateful to have Tribal members of the Lenape / Delaware community coming all the way from Oklahoma and Canada to share with us their joy and wisdom and to remind us that this is just the beginning. Because despite the executive order the mayor passed this year, the city has not welcomed home the Federal Tribes as a sovereign nation and has not recognized the atrocities that the colonizer’s forefathers committed against them. Therefore, IPD Philly would like to take this moment to send a special thanks and shout out to Teresa Johnson (Lenape living in Ontario) who said to 6ABC that “They need to know who we are. This is our homeland.”
Many others within the community agree, including members of the Delaware Nation Anadarko, Barton Standlingelk Cartwright, who said, “We want some kind of a land back so we can at least bury our ancestors.”
We thank these community members for raising these important issues and speaking these urgent truths, publicly demanding that they need land back to return and lay to rest their children who were victims of the brutal residential school system in Pennsylvania.
We would also like to send a big shout-out to the storytellers, singers, dancers, performers, and MC who made this beautiful event a success: Charles Under Baggage III (Oglala Lakota) MCed the event, which featured Richie Olivera (Peruvian-Andean), Myron Godfrey (Lakota), Tyrone Ellis and family (Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape), Eugene Black Crow Sr. (Oglala Lakota), Tatanka Gibson (Nansemond/Saponi of Hollister) with Carrie Helm (Mashpee Wampanoag) aka Dawnland Dancer, Tchin (Narragansett), Marcus Frejo a.k.a. Quece IMC (Pawnee-Seminole), Vaughnda Hilton (Seminole Creek-Blackfeet) with Native Nations Dance Theatre, Inkarayku (Peruvian / Quechua), and Campatlanezi (Danza Azteca del Anáhuac).
Lastly, we truly appreciate everyone who attended, volunteered, performed, worked, spread the word, and donated to this year’s event. We are deeply honored that you took the time to stand in solidarity with us to help celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Philadelphia. We are so excited to continue increasing awareness of the Lenape / Delaware and our diverse histories and cultures in Philadelphia.
Thank our vendors:
Black Crow Moccasins (Eugene Black Crow Sr), Nocheztli (Adniel Avendano), Claudette Bryant, Richie Olivera Flutes (Felix Ataucusi), Native Crafts (Vincent Cruz), Native Expressions (Cristina Gualsaqui), Kichwas Arts (Erika Cabascango), Maki Arts (Rebeca Yamberla), and NativeTaz (Keith Rood)
Our sponsors:
We are the Seeds, Native American House Alliance, Quechua Program at Penn, Philadelphia Museum of Arts, Mural Arts, PhillyCAM, Child USA, and Rivers Casino.
Our funders:
Bread & Roses Community Fund, Samuel S Fels Foundation, Indian Committee of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and all the Individual Donors!
Our former Fiscal sponsor:
Federation of Neighborhood Centers (FNC)
To learn more about #IPDphilly2021:
- Visit its page (Click here)
- Watch IPD Philly 2021 on our YouTube Channel (CLICK HERE)
- Get more details (HERE) on this year’s event and our first article of our new series highlighting the Indigenous Peoples’ Day movement in Philadelphia.
