PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia officially celebrated its second annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday.
“I will praise the spirit of the earth. I will praise the spirit of the sky,” said Miguel Sague in his native Taino language, marking the day. He lives in Pittsburgh but made the pilgrimage across the commonwealth for the event.
“We really feel proud of our sisters and brothers in brothers in the other part of Pennsylvania who finally accomplished this,” said Sague.
The celebration, which recognizes the contributions of Native Americans, took place in a part of the city with great historical significance: Penn Treaty Park, also known as Shackamaxon, ancestral lands of the Lenni-Lenape Peoples on the shore of the Delaware River in Northern Liberties.
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“There were treaties originally signed in this park between William Penn and Chief Tamanend,” said Janis Stacy, a board member of Indigenous Peoples' Day Philly, Inc. which organized the event.
“We try to put on a visibility event so people know we’re here, and this is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It’s been called a different name for many many years, but we’re trying to make sure we’re seen on these days instead of just ignored.”
The organization held its first Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2017 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2021, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order officially changing Columbus Day into Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the city.
Indigenous people from Canada, the Caribbean and all across the United States united to take part in traditional dances, songs, and chants.
“This day brings us all together,” said Jack Johnson, part of the Delaware tribe in Oklahoma whonow calls Philadelphia home. “We are able to share stories. We’re able to catch up on relatives.”
Mabel Negrete, the executive director of Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly, Inc., said the celebration which featured Indigenous performers, dignitaries and leaders is a step in the right direction in uplifting indigenous cultures.
“We hope that in the future, the city is more open to start incorporating new things into the school system or into the politics of the city, so there can be a social change.”