TODAY IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY!!
History, sadly, is often written by the victors. The settlers. The conquerors.
And what is the victors' story of today?
That a LAND was discovered by thoughtful explorers on a ship and welcomed into existence as a NATION over handshakes and Turkey dinners. American history, it is said, begins with a man on a ship.
The present, thankfully, is written by a much broader community. Those left in the wake of decisions made long before our time. The storytellers, the truth-bearers, and the curious ones all peel back the layers of time to set free history.
HIS STORY, HER STORY, THEIR STORY. And on this day,
THE INDIGENOUS STORY.
That a land and people and way of being existed long before ships—that hundreds of nations flourished and fought and migrated and hunted and gathered and lived for countless generations back.
That tradition, belief, knowledge, and wisdom flourished in our hills before the arrival of ships. That stewardship existed before ownership.
That nothing was discovered. Rather, everything is forever interrupted. Genocide, relocation, removal, assimilation, Westernization.
Today, and each day that follows, our future will be written by those we teach, instruct, and invite to guide the generation that follows.
On this day, explore the broader story of who we are as a Nation. Understand the past, take note of our role in the present, and co-create a more inclusive, diverse, and representative future.
We honor the storytellers, like Darren Parry, on our shore who help guide our connection and contribution to the NW Shoshone past, present, and future within these hills.
Learn more about the creation of the Boa Ogoi Cultural and Interpretive Center downriver.