The Democratic Party of Oregon recognizes the importance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. This only marks the second year our state has officially recognized the second Monday in October as not a celebration of Christopher Columbus but rather a remembrance of atrocities committed by him and people against humanity and specifically Native Americans.

The countless lost languages, cultures, and people will never be replaced by any given celebration, but we can begin to reconcile and repair the generational trauma by supporting the communities still reeling from hundreds of years of institutional oppression.

Indigenous Peoples' Day should be a recognition of the past, present and future of Indigenous peoples, recognizing that Indigenous communities are still here in Oregon and beyond, and for us all to be working together for a better future.

BACKGROUND

Oregon has many diverse Indigenous communities in both our urban and rural areas across the state. Oregon is home to nine federally recognized tribes:

• Burns Paiute of Harney County
• Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
• Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
• Coquille Indian Tribe
• Klamath Tribes

In addition, Multnomah County is the 9th largest concentration of urban Indians in the United States and home to 28 Native organizations in the Portland area.

While undercounting of Native American populations remains a constant challenge, according to the 2020 census, there are 129,081 Oregonians who identify as full or part American Indian and Alaska Native, comprising 3.1% of the state’s population.

ORIGINS

In a bill sponsored by the Oregon Legislature’s only Indigenous lawmakers, Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland; and Rep. Teresa Alonso-Leon, D-Woodburn; the Oregon Legislature declared Indigenous Peoples' Day in the spring of 2021 by an overwhelming 22-7 vote in the Senate and a 50-5 vote in the House. Oregon is just one of 13 states to recognize this holiday on the second Monday of October each year. The other Western states who celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day are California, Alaska, Arizona and New Mexico. South Dakota celebrates the day as Native American Day, and was the first day to replace Columbus Day, doing so in 1989.

For more ways to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day in Oregon, check out this link to a related news story in the Oregonian about Indigenous Peoples' Day 2022: https://www.oregonlive.com/events/2022/10/5-ways-to-celebrate-indigenous-peoples-day-in-oregon.html

To keep up with other issues facing Indian Country in Oregon, particularly within the sphere of advocating for Native American issues in Oregon, to include learning about Native American candidates and campaigns, please consider joining the Democratic Party of Oregon Native American Caucus.

In solidarity,

The DPO Native American Caucus Leadership
President: Brandon Culbertson
Vice President: Valdez Bravo
Caucus Treasurer: Randy Knop
Secretary: Carina Miller
Communications Officer: Nicole Adams