February 21 is International Mother Language Day. It was first proclaimed in 1952 as "Language Movement Day" by Dhaka University students in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) who protested the suppression of their Bengali language. Police and military forces opened fire, killing many young people in attendance. 

By Dr. Doreen E. Martinez (Mescalero Apache)

I think back to when I was young, and I am trying to recall the time I learned what respect meant, what respect looked like, how I could offer it. I am pulled back to a sense of presence, a way of being that my parents offered, that I saw or felt my siblings doing, or how it resided in our house and the way my parents welcomed all other kids in our neighborhood into our home. Our home being the ‘poorest,’ however, our home was the place where everyone was fed.
 

The story of the Maskoke Peoples is, as that of all Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, a story of dispossession, cultural assimilation, and treaty violations. Forced out of their homelands by government-imposed removal policies, Maskoke People were displaced from their territories in 1836. Only in 2018, did a small community of Maskoke People finally rematriate some of these ancestral lands and return to live once again in what is today called Alabama.

By Shaldon Ferris (CS Staff, Khoisan)

By Chad Valdez (Diné/Navajo)

By Phoebe Farris (Powhatan-Pamunkey)

The Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival held its annual celebration of Indigenous film in Richmond, Virginia, from November 17-19, 2023, amplifying the contributions of Native Americans, First Nations, and Indigenous Peoples around the globe in local, independent, nonprofit, and commercial film. Its films, panel discussions, and Q&As showcased stories and stimulated deep conversations that are at once relevant to specific Indigenous lives and all of humanity.

By Nina Sangma (Garo)

By Chad Valdez (Diné)

By Organización Comuna Amazónica 

The aggressive advance of mining extractivism in Ecuador threatens the entire country. In our province, Napo, we are experiencing one of the most serious environmental disasters in our history, caused by the complicity of mining companies, illegal mining operators, and the government, who have formed a network of corruption that is poisoning our water sources and bleeding the jungle, affecting our economy and putting our health at risk.

By Kuakumake Stéreo (Arhuaco)

The Indigenous women of the Sierra Nevada in Colombia, are participating in a radio empowerment project called “The Indigenous Truth.” This initiative, organized by Kuakumake Stéreo, together with Cultura Survival, is essential to promoting the active participation of women and ensuring that their voices are heard in the public sphere.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it's never too early to reflect on the true history of this holiday, its origins, and Indigenous practices and ways of giving thanks. We share some resources from Native authors available to help navigate through the abundance of information out there. These children's books shed light on the true history of Thanksgiving. It is important to seek out the truth and hear stories told by Indigenous people, start with the following book recommendations!