Indigenous Peoples’ Day — Monday, October 14 — is a time to reflect on Native cultures and histories

Monday, October 14, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day to recognize the resilience of First Nations and to reaffirm the significance of their Tribal sovereignty, cultures, and histories.  

Wisconsin declared the second Monday in October to be Indigenous Peoples’ Day for those reasons in 2019, when Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #50 in Franklin. In September 2020, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors passed its own resolution declaring the second Monday of October to be Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Milwaukee Public Schools.  

Wisconsin is home to 12 Native American Tribes and Bands:  

• Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

• Forest County Potawatomi 

• Ho-Chunk Nation 

• Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

• Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin 

• Oneida Nation 

• Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

• Mole Lake (Sokaogon Chippewa Community) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

• Saint Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin 

• Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians 

• Brothertown Indian Nation 

In 1989, Wisconsin Act 31 said public schools must teach students about First Nations in Wisconsin. Wisconsin schools and educators are encouraged to take Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an opportunity to teach students about the importance of Native histories, cultures, and Tribal sovereignty. 

MPS has its own First Nations Studies program to offer resources and professional development to educators and to provide services at schools with significant numbers of Native students. For example, First Nations Studies has a college access program, offers cultural classes, such as beading, sewing, and drumming, and workshops for parents. 

Here are some ways for the community at large to deepen its knowledge of Native culture and history:  

Attend the Hunting Moon Pow Wow. Open to the public free of charge, the annual event is October 18-20 this year and will take place at the Baird Center downtown, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. Children younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.   

At the pow wow, visitors can take in drumming, dancing, and singing competitions, and see the pageantry of grand entries — with participants in traditional dress — at 7:00 p.m. October 18, 1:00 and 7:00 p.m. October 19, and 12:00 p.m. October 22. The full schedule and more information is available online. 

Read and watch to learn more about Native cultures and traditions. The website The Ways from PBS Wisconsin has videos and writings celebrating Great Lakes Native cultures and languages. It’s intended as a resource for educators, but accessible to all. Also, the PBS series Tribal Histories presents elders telling stories about their communities. All of Wisconsin’s tribes and bands are featured; each episode, by PBS Wisconsin, is 30 minutes. View them online at Tribal Histories | Watch on PBS Wisconsin.  

Learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day from Native individuals discussing the meaning of their cultural identity in this video: Be Indigenous — National Indigenous Peoples Day