Indigenous People's Day was first celebrated in 1989 in South Dakota, and it has gradually caught on around the country as an alternative to celebrating Columbus Day.
Several cities and towns across Iowa declared the second Monday of October to be Indigenous People's Day in 2017. Governor Kim Reynolds made a statewide declaration in October 2018, and this year many other communities in Iowa have joined the movement.
In this episode of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe takes us to the indigenous peoples day celebration at the University of Iowa, and she talks with Shelley Buffalo of the Meskwaki Nation and Michael Wanbdi Gdeska, O'Connor of the Yankton Sioux tribe about their experiences of Indigenous People's Day.
Guests Include:
- Shelley Buffalo, Food Sovereignty Coordinator for the Meskwaki Nation
- Michael Wanbdi Gdeska O'Connor, Member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota