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By Laura Navitsky and Ariel Iannone Román

From the dairy farms in New York to the vast fields of the Central Valley of California, Indigenous migrant farmworkers are among the most overworked, underpaid, vulnerable, and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indigenous essential workers put food on the table every day for us, our children, and our elders, but in return face poor working conditions due to discrimination and harassment, all of which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the wildfires on the West Coast.
 

Image courtesy of MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda

It's time to recognize that celebrating the life of Christopher Columbus is the same as celebrating the erasure of Indigenous existence. There has been much movement around the country to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day but more work remains to be done. We are excited to share some local and national events celebrating Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples Day. 
 

On Monday July 6, Federal Court Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling ordering the infamous Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) shut down and be completely emptied of oil within 30 days. Given that DAPL has consistently threatened the ability of Indigenous Peoples in the area to maintain their relationship with their sacred, unceded lands, this ruling allows for some cautious celebration. The July 6th ruling ordered that the pipeline must undergo a substantial 13-month environmental review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before proceeding with further operations. While the ruling to empty the pipeline does not necessarily signal a clear and decisive end to the fight, it does set a precedent for siding with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the thousands of protesters around the globe who have pledged and shown their support. It signals a closer move towards Indigenous sovereignty. 
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