Events, Resources, and Calls to Action below
If you missed it in person - please take an hour in honor of Indigenous People's Day to watch the beautiful celebration and reclamation of space organized by the 3 Sisters Collective that took place this summer at the plaza after announcements were made that racist monuments would be removed. So many powerful Indigenous voices calling for justice and healing - required viewing for anyone living in these unceded Tewa lands. See below for important opportunities to engage in the celebration of Indigenous People's Day through action (2 of 3 monuments still stand) and education.
This Indigenous Peoples Day weekend Indigenous activists & allies occupied the Santa Fe plaza calling for the removal of the obelisk and elevating other issues of oppression against Indigenous peoples. A rally has been called for today, Monday, at Noon at the Plaza - please attend if you are able.
Two separate actions took place this weekend: a "peaceful assembly" action with allies holding signs uplifting Indigenous voices and giving out info about the history of the obelisk, and a separate action where two white allies chained themselves to the obelisk. Participants stated that this is being done in response to direct asks by Pueblo people. A statement was released by a coalition of Indigenous and ally groups: OCCUPIED TEWA LANDS, N.M.—A coalition of groups will occupy the Santa Fe Plaza to demand the removal of the racist Obelisk at the center of the town square. The three-day occupation leading up to Indigenous Peoples’ day seeks the liberation of Indigenous peoples from all forms of colonialism including the removal of racist monuments and an end to the continued, systematic oppression of Indigenous communities. In June, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Weber made a public promise to Santa Fe’s Indigenous community, vowing to remove the racist Obelisk. He stated: “My belief is that we must take these steps now because they are the right thing to do, it is a moment of moral truth and we’ve been called to do it by our Native American colleagues, friends and family members,” Webber said. “It is long overdue.” Three months have passed since Mayor Webber made this promise and the Obelisk—a clear symbol of colonization, oppression—still stands at the heart of our city, on stolen land. The following statement was released by the coalition: “Earlier this year Mayor Alan Webber made a promise to native women that the Obelisk at the center of this plaza would be removed. He has broken that promise and we demand he honor his word. The Obelisk is a symbol of oppression, colonization, and the continuing genocide of Tewa people, the original occupants of this stolen land. Now is the time to create new symbols of inclusion and create a community of accountability. Honor Tewa voices. Honor treaties. Honor your word. Mayor Alan Webber: REMOVE THIS RACIST MONUMENT.”
For some history on why this statue erected to honor Union Soldiers after the Civil War is NOT about the battle to end slavery and is so offensive - this article sheds some light:
“While many Union soldiers did fight for emancipation in the East, Union soldiers in the West fought for Native annihilation and removal. It is hard for many people to wrap their minds around the fact that Union Army soldiers fought to wrest Native lands away from multiple tribes, as part of the Union cause to create a free, white West. The monuments in Denver and Santa Fe glorify the settler colonialism enacted by Union troops. That is why activist groups such as the Three Sisters Collective in New Mexico and the American Indian Movement in Colorado have been calling for their removal for decades. For them, Union soldiers and Kit Carson represent racism and oppression in the same way that Confederates embody these values for Black Americans.” - The Atlantic Magazine
OTHER EVENTS TODAY
Indigenous Peoples' Day with Santa Fe Indian Center & Motorama. Feature Film - Neither Wolf Nor Dog @ 7:00pmFeaturing: Indigenous performers, artisans and organization vendors and food.Performers:1. Contemporary Dancers (Dancing Earth): Anne Pesata (Jicarilla Apache) and Natalie Benally (Diné, Zuni Pueblo, Southern Ute)2. Singer: Nadine Oglesby (Diné),3. Pueblo of Pojoaque Youth Hoop Dancers. There will be no on-site tickets sold. Each Ticket covers all passengers in the vehicle. Everyone must have a legal seat with a seatbelt.Gates Open: 3:30pm Gates Close: 6:45pm
Conscience Point is a film about the Shinnecock Nation and their fight against some of the richest and most powerful developers in the U.S.No North Brooklyn Pipeline will also discuss the current land struggle to stop the expansion of a massive fracked gas transmission pipeline. Hosted by Red Nation and No North Brooklyn Pipeline, in collaboration with Free CUNY and Rank and File Action (RAFA)
SEE RESOURCES
The Red Nation Podcast features discussions on Indigenous history, politics, and culture from a left perspective.
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