We celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with an eye on the election

As Native Americans across the U.S. come together on Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday to celebrate their history and culture and recognize the ongoing challenges they face, many will be focused on the election.

From a voting rally in Minneapolis with food, games and raffles to a public lecture on the Native vote at Virginia Tech, the holiday, which takes place about three weeks before Election Day, will feature a wide range of events geared toward mobilization and outreach efforts are focused on Indigenous people amid a strong recognition of the power of their voices.

In 2020, domestic voters proved crucial in the presidential election. Voter turnout on tribal lands in Arizona increased dramatically compared to the previous presidential election, helping Joe Biden win in a state that had not supported a Democratic candidate in a White House race since 1996.

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Janeen Comenote, executive director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, which is involved in at least a dozen such election rallies across the country, said mobilizing domestic voters is particularly important this year as the country chooses the president. However, she cautioned that Indigenous people are far from a monolith when it comes to how they vote.

“We're really just interested in getting local voters to vote, not telling them how to vote. But somehow we understand that you have a voice and it is a democracy, a democracy that we helped create,” said Comenote, a citizen of the Quinault Indian Nation.

In Arizona, her coalition is partnering with the Phoenix Indian Center to hold a town hall on Monday called “Democracy is Indigenous: Power of the Native Vote,” which will feature speakers and performances as well as Indigenous artwork on the theme of democracy.

In Apex, North Carolina, about 14 miles (23 kilometers) southwest of Raleigh, the coalition is working with the Triangle Native American Society on an event that is expected to include a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act and an information booth and giveaways to nonpartisan voters.

Although it is not a federal holiday, Indigenous Peoples Day is observed in 17 states, including Washington, South Dakota and Maine, as well as Washington, DC, according to the Pew Research Center. It usually takes place on the second Monday in October, the same day as the federal holiday Columbus Day.