We're Still Here: Why It's Still a Good Day to Be #Indigenous
By Levi Rickert, October 13, 2025
"Opinion. It’s a good day to be Indigenous.
Yes, even now. Even after what we witnessed this past week when the White House issued a proclamation for Columbus Day and failed to acknowledge #IndigenousPeoples’ Day. Even with the return of a presidential administration that has made no secret of its disdain for diversity, equity and inclusion (#DEI) efforts. And even though white nationalists continue to grumble at the idea of honoring Indigenous peoples at all—yes, it is still a good day to be Indigenous.
Being Indigenous doesn’t depend on who sits in the Oval Office. It doesn’t hinge on whether a president utters the words “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” or if federal websites decide to scrub Native achievements from their pages. Our strength is not defined by visibility in colonial spaces. Our strength comes from something much older, deeper, and more enduring.
We are still here.
Let’s talk about what happened. This past Thursday, the White House only released a proclamation for Columbus Day — nothing for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which has now been recognized in some form by more than 20 states and over 130 cities and towns. That silence was loud. But it wasn’t surprising.
After all, this is the same administration that stormed back into office declaring war on DEI initiatives. Federal agencies began purging mentions of contributions by people of color. Even the Defense Department — prior to renaming itself the Department of War — removed references to the #NavajoCodeTalkers from its website. It took serious backlash from Indian Country for them to quietly restore those mentions.
And just last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced he would not rescind the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers who killed as many as 300 Lakota people — most of them unarmed women, children and elders — at the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. The pattern is clear: This administration will honor those who committed atrocities against Native peoples while erasing the contributions of those who served with distinction.
So no, we weren’t shocked when Indigenous Peoples’ Day was erased at the federal level. But we’re also not deterred. We’ve always had to fight to be seen. And we’ve never needed permission to celebrate ourselves."
Read more:
https://nativenewsonline.net/opinion/we-re-still-here-why-it-s-still-a-good-day-to-be-indigenous
#CulturalHeritage #CulturalPreservation #CulturalErasure #IndigenousPeoplesDay
