Image courtesy of MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda
It's time to recognize that celebrating the life of Christopher Columbus also celebrates the erasure of Indigenous existence. There is a growing 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.
Events in Massachusetts
Compiled by Indigenous Peoples Day MA and Italian Americans for Indigenous Peoples Day. Events will continue to be added as information becomes available. To include your event on this list, please email ItaliansforIPD@gmail.com.
October 6, 7-8:30 pm
ACTON, MA
Virtual event
Talking to Kids About Stereotypes and Invisibility of Indigenous “Native Americans”
Educator Claudia Fox Tree (Arawak) will discuss the ways in which missing and misinformation about the First Nations people of the Americas contributes to their invisibility, and how education and dialogue are crucial to “unerasing” Indigenous voices. She will focus on how to engage children through books, videos, and conversations.
Sponsored by the Discovery Museum and Nashoba Area Social Justice Alliance.
Full event details here.
October 7, 11-11:20 am
CAMBRIDGE, MA
In-person event
Outdoor Story Time with the Mayor
The City of Cambridge welcomes children and their grown-ups to a special story time with Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.
Joan Lorentz Park at the Cambridge Public Library (main branch), 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
Full event details here.
October 7, 7 pm
ARLINGTON, MA
Virtual event
Ute Elder Forrest Cuch on History and Healing
Forrest Cuch, Ute Tribal Elder and former Director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, will discuss the history of oppression of the Utah Tribes within the context of the Doctrine of Discovery. Cuch will explore the still-present effects of this Doctrine and provide insight into a broad range of issues impacting Indigenous communities in the U.S. today. He will also share his thoughts on how to build a more just and equitable world for all.
Sponsored by the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum
Full event details at http://dallin.org/events/
October 7, 6-7:30 pm
BELMONT, MA
Virtual event
We Still Live Here: Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project Documentary Screening & Discussion
Learn about the remarkable story of cultural revival by the Wampanoag of Southeastern Massachusetts and the creation of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project nearly 3 decades ago. The screening will be followed by a discussion with a member of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project.
Sponsored by the Belmont Public Library, Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Human Rights Commission, and the Town of Belmont
Register here.
October 7, 7 pm
MARBLEHEAD, MA
Virtual event
Stereotypes and Invisibility of Indigenous “Native Americans”
Educator Claudia Fox Tree (Arawak) will discuss the ways in which missing and misinformation about the First Nations people of the Americas contributes to their invisibility, and how education and dialogue are crucial to “unerasing” Indigenous voices.
Sponsored by Indigenous Peoples Day Marblehead and Marblehead Museum
Full event details at https://marbleheadmuseum.org/ipd2021/
October 9, 11:30 am
BOSTON, MA
In-person event
Boston Marches for Indigenous Peoples Day
Help send the message loud and clear that we must honor and acknowledge the Indigenous history of Boston and Massachusetts, as well as the continued presence of Indigenous peoples throughout the state. It is time for Boston to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day; for Boston to rename “Christopher Columbus” park; for Boston officials to stop ignoring and erasing Indigenous people; and for the MA State Legislature to pass bills to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day statewide, ban Native mascots, and more!
March starts at Park St. MBTA Station by Boston Common
Sponsored by Indigenous Peoples Day MA, United American Indians of New England, North American Indian Center of Boston, and Cultural Survival
Full event details at https://fb.me/e/10Jr7Mpx0
October 9, 10 am-5 pm
BOSTON, MA
In-person event
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
Free admission and giveaways of corn husk weaving kits and children’s books. View the Garden for Boston outdoor installations by artists Elizabeth James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Ekua Holmes and artworks by Indigenous artists of the past and present in the Native North American Art Gallery.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02155
Full event details here.
October 9, 2-4 pm
BROOKLINE, MA
In-person event
Indigenous Peoples Day Community Celebration
This event will feature free food from Manoa Poke Shop, local Indigenous art and craft vendors, and opportunities to learn about the history and current political and social justice actions of Indigenous peoples in Brookline and throughout Massachusetts.
Florida Ruffin Ridley School cafeteria and playground, 345 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446
Sponsored by the Brookline Indigenous Peoples Celebration Committee, North American Indian Center of Boston, and Brookline Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Community Relations
October 9, 10-11:30 am
CANTON, MA
In-person event
Indigenous Plant Walk with Silvermoon LaRose
Silvermoon LaRose, Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum in Rhode Island, will lead an exploration highlighting Indigenous plants and their uses in the traditional lifeways of the Narragansett People.
Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, 2468B Washington Street (Route 138)
Canton, MA 02021
Sponsored by The Trustees
Full event details here.
October 9, 10-noon
DEDHAM, MA
In-person event
"Dawnland" Film Screening
A screening of the Emmy award-winning film about the Maine Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s investigation of the impact of Indigenous child removal and cultural genocide. Elizabeth Solomon of the Massachusett Tribe will speak after the film.
Dedham Community Theatre, 580 High St., Dedham, MA 02026
Sponsored by Dedham Public Library, Dedham Historical Society, Dedham Human Rights Commission, and Cultural Survival
Full event details here.
October 9, 10-noon
MAYNARD, MA
In-person event
Cultural Threads: Celebrating Indigenous Art, Connections & Community
A celebration of Maynard’s 1st annual Indigenous People's Day featuring art installations and dancing by artist Anna-Celestrya Carr (Metis) and an all-ages community art project with Aimee Ledwell (Mashpee Wampanoag).
Memorial Park (corner of Nason and Summer Streets), Maynard, MA 01754
Sponsored by Maynard Anti-Racism Alliance
Full event details here.
See also, StoryWalks: “We are the Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom, Maynard Public Library, 9/27-11/20 and “Fry Bread” by Kevin Noble Maillard, Assabet River Trail, 138 Winter St., Maynard, 10/9-10/17.
October 10, 11-12:30 pm
CONCORD, MA
In-person event
Concord Museum Indigenous Peoples Day Family Program with the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers
Experience traditional Eastern Woodlands social songs and dances performed by artists from the tribal nations of Mashpee and Aquinnah.
Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA 01742
Register here.
October 10, 1 pm
MARBLEHEAD, MA
In-person event
The Nettukkusqk Singers
The Nettukkusqk Singers are a female group of Wampanoag and Nipmuc Native American Traditional singers performing traditional and contemporary songs accompanied by hand drums, rattles, and water drum. In the Natick dialect of Algonquin, “nettukkusqk” means “my sister.” Free, outdoor, family-friendly event.
Lee Mansion Garden, 161 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945
Sponsored by Indigenous Peoples Day Marblehead and Marblehead Museum
Full event details at https://marbleheadmuseum.org/ipd2021/
Oct. 11, 9:30 am
BELMONT, MA
In-person event
Inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration with BOMBAntillana
Bomba is the oldest living musical tradition of Boriken (Puerto Rico) and reflects the powerful forces that shaped the island’s history, drawing from the West African (Bantu) and Taino (Indigenous) experience with enslavement enforced on the island by the Spanish Crown prior to the 1700s.
Winn Brook School grounds, 97 Waterhouse Rd., Belmont, MA 02478
Sponsored by Belmont Against Racism, Town of Belmont, Belmont Religious Council, Community Organized for Solidarity, and school PTAs.
Oct. 11, 3:30-6:30 pm
MEDFORD, MA
In-person event
Tufts University Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
This event will feature performances by Nettukkusqk Singers and the Eastern Sun Drummers and remarks by Mahtowin Munro (Lakota) of the United American Indians of New England and Indigenous Peoples Day MA. Open to the Tufts community and the general public.
Tufts University, Olin Terrace (outside), 180 Packard Ave., Medford, MA 02155
Oct. 11, 6:45-8:45 pm
MELROSE, MA
In-person event
"Dawnland" and "Dear Georgina" Film Screening
A screening of these two documentaries about stolen children and cultural survival will be followed by a discussion via live-stream with Maine Truth & Reconciliation Commissioner gkisedtanamoogk (Mashpee Wampanoag), film participant Dawn Neptune Adams (Penobscot), and linguist Roger Paul (Passamaquoddy). Moderated by Dawnland filmmaker and Upstander Project director Adam Mazo.
Located at, and sponsored by, the Melrose Highlands Congregational Church, 355 Franklin St., Melrose, MA 02176
Full event details here.
October 11, 12-5 pm
NEWTON, MA
In-person event
Indigenous Peoples Day Newton Ceremonial Celebration
An outdoor, family-oriented celebration of Indigenous culture, art, and history. This inaugural annual event will feature over 40 artists, performers, speakers, vendors, and community organizations. Open to all residents of Newton and neighboring towns.
Albemarle Field, 250 Albemarle Rd., Newton, MA 02460
Sponsored by Indigenous Peoples Day Newton
Full event details at https://ipdmassnewton.wixsite.com/ipdnewton
October 11, 10 am-9 pm
SALEM, MA
Virtual event
Peabody Essex Museum Indigenous Peoples Day Virtual Celebration
Activities include corn husk doll making with Dawn Spears (Narragansett) and a screening of Dawnland and Dear Georgina followed by a discussion via live-stream with Maine Truth & Reconciliation Commissioner gkisedtanamoogk (Mashpee Wampanoag), film participant Dawn Neptune Adams (Penobscot), and linguist Roger Paul (Passamaquoddy). Moderated by Dawnland filmmaker and Upstander Project director Adam Mazo.
Full event details at https://www.pem.org/events/indigenous-peoples-day
October 11, 11-12:30 pm
NEWBURYPORT, MA
In-person event
Newburyport Indigenous Peoples Day Observance
This family-friendly event will feature an Indigenous-led ceremonial circle, a reading of the recently passed Indigenous Peoples Day Resolution by Mayor Donna Haloday, and musical performances by local artists.
Moseley Woods Park, 15 Spofford St., Newburyport, MA 01950
October 11, 10 am-Noon
WINCHESTER, MA
In-person event
Winchester Indigenous Peoples Day Family Celebration
Drop in to Wright Locke Farm between 10-noon for this family event featuring a farm tour, crafts, planting activity, storybook readings about Indigenous people and cultures, and more. Adults will learn about Indigenous rights legislation currently before the MA legislature and how to get involved.
Wright-Locke Farm, 78 Ridge St., Winchester, MA 01890
Sponsored by the Network for Social Justice
Full event details here: https://nfsj.org/events/indigenous-peoples-day-family-celebration/
October 11, 11-4:30 pm
WALTHAM, MA
In-person event & virtual
Brandeis University Indigenous Peoples Day Observances
Events include a performance by the Nettukkusqk Singers on the ICC Patio and virtual talks by Renae Watchman (Dine & Tsalagi, Mount Royal University) “Beyond Indianthusiasm: Transatlantic Indigeneity,” Mahtowin Munro (Lakota, United American Indians of New England) “Indigenous Rights and Climate Justice,” and Amanda Cobb-Greentham (Chickasaw, Oklahoma University) “Decolonizing, Indigenizing, and Creating Space.” Note: In-person program open to vaccinated campus community. Virtual programs open to the public.
The Trustees, Free Admission & Parking for all Historic Houses and Cultural Properties
More info at https://thetrustees.org/program/free-days/
Oct. 12, 3:30-4 pm
BELMONT, MA
Virtual event
Family Book Club, “The Sea in Winter” by Christine Day (Upper Skagit)
A heartwarming novel about an Indigenous girl struggling to find her joy again. Recommended for grades 4 and up.
Sponsored by the Belmont Public library
Full event details here.
October 12, 6-7 pm
CAMBRIDGE, MA
Virtual event
Disrupting Colonial Narratives by Erin Genia (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate/Odawa)
Learn about the work of Erin Genia, a multidisciplinary artist, educator and community organizer specializing in Native American and Indigenous arts and culture.
Sponsored by the City of Cambridge
Full event details and registration link here.
Oct. 12, 10 am-6:30 pm
WALTHAM, MA
Virtual event
Brandeis University Indigenous Peoples Day Teach-In
Sessions include “Indigenous Dance” by Cuauhtémoc Peranda (Mescalero Apache Nation, Mexika-Chichimeca/Cano/ UC Riverside); “I, Too, Am America: Stolen Land, Stolen People and the Forced Migrations of the Native & the African” by Chadra Pittman (Founder and Executive Director of the The Sankofa Projects and 4 E.V.E.R); and "When They Were Here: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2 Spirit People" by Ivy and Ivan MacDonald (Blackfeet documentary filmmakers). Open to the public.
October 16, 12-3 pm
ROXBURY, MA
In-person event
Savor the Square Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
This community celebration in Nubian Square will feature Indigenous vendors and performers, including music by Mwalim and The ZYG808. Indigenous vendors are welcome to request a booth. Contact Carole_Walton@tamcc.org.
Blair Lot, 4-9 Palmer St., Roxbury, MA 02119
Sponsored by the North American Indian Center of Boston and The American City Coalition.
Event details here.
Oct. 20, 5:30-8 pm
WATERTOWN, MA
In-person event
Film Screening of "Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools"
Learn about the history and the legacy of the federal Indian Boarding School system. A post-film discussion will be led by Thalia Carroll-Cachimuel, Indigenous and Latinx Human Rights Advocate.
Sponsored by the Watertown Public Library as part of the Watertown Race Reels Program.
Full event details here.
Oct. 20, 7:30-8:45 pm
WINCHESTER, MA
Virtual event
Honoring Indigenous Perspectives: Decolonizing Columbus and Thanksgiving
Indigenous activists and allies Chali’naru Dones (Guainia Taino), Claudia Fox Tree (Iukaieke Guainia Taino), and Heather Leavell, will participate in this moderated panel discussion about how to elevate Indigenous voices during a season in which we hear alot about, but not from, Indigenous people.
Sponsored by the Network for Social Justice.
Register here.
Ongoing
WAKEFIELD, MA
Virtual
Pre-recorded readings of three books by Indigenous authors available for viewing on the Wakefield Human Rights Commission’s Facebook page starting October 9.
Events Across the Country
MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2021 AT 9 AM – 11 AM EDT
Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering
Alcatraz Island
Please check out more events here.
