In 1990, South Dakota became the first state to celebrate what they called “Native American Day” on the second Monday of October. Two years later, the city of Berkeley, California, celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day on that same day to protest the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the outlying islands of North America.
In 2021, the White House proclaimed that Indigenous Peoples’ Day would occur on the same day as Columbus Day to honor America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that still thrive today. You can help your students understand the history of this holiday with classroom activities for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in both social studies and ELA:
[Explore the history and significance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day with social studies activities](id-ss)
Use our Newsela Social Studies activities to help students understand why we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and how the holiday evolved over the years.
Teach students why we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the cultures and histories of the Native peoples of our continent and its surrounding territories. Help students dive into the holiday’s significance with resources like:
- A photo essay that explores how Indigenous people celebrate and maintain their culture, heritage, and values in a changing world.
- The full text of some U.S. cities' proclamations where they acknowledged changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.
- An article that discusses the erasure of the Taíno, an Indigenous group of people who lived in the Caribbean, from the mainstream curriculum.
Discover why the country has shifted away from celebrating Columbus Day
Americans celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on what has historically been known as Columbus Day. After people started to acknowledge his poor treatment of those who already inhabited the Caribbean islands, they began to shift toward recognizing the experiences and victories of Indigenous communities instead. Use this three-part inquiry lesson to help students reflect on three key areas:
- Debating Columbus: Consider the question “How should we remember Columbus?” and read historical accounts to help decide.
- Columbus’ Life: Explore primary sources and maps illustrating Columbus’ journey to the Americas.
- Columbus’ Legacy: Explore primary sources and pro/con articles that compare and contrast how we remember Columbus in America.
[Discover more about the cultures we recognize on Indigenous Peoples’ Day with ELA activities](id-ela)
Use our Newsela ELA lessons to explore the world of Indigenous literature, poetry, and current events to better understand the cultures we recognize on this holiday:
Recognizing the U.S. as Native Land
When we’re so used to living in today’s world, it’s easy to forget that our country didn’t always look the way it does now. Before the first English settlers arrived, Indigenous groups inhabited the land that makes up much of the boundaries of the United States. Teach students more about the relationships between those groups and the early settlers this Indigenous Peoples’ Day:
- Assign an article about the complex relationship between Indigenous people and English settlers in the New England territories.
- Read the full text of Indigenous leader Tecumseh’s letter to Governor Harrison in 1810 calling for a united Native American resistance.
- Discover the legacy of land-grant colleges and universities, which were created through the forced removal of Indigenous people from their lands.
Discover Indigenous culture through novel studies
Build background knowledge about Indigenous cultures with paired primary sources and texts in our Novel and Book Studies collection for popular titles like:
Recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day with poetry
See the world through the eyes of Indigenous writers by exploring poetry selections like:
- “Autumn” by Alexander Posey
- “A Song of a Navajo Weaver” by Bertrand N.O. Walker
- “A Mojave Lullaby” by Bertrand N.O. Walker
- “America, I Sing Back” by Allison Adelle Hedge Coke
- “Navajo Mountain” by Norla Chee
Newsela’s products go beyond Indigenous Peoples’ Day
We hope these resources make it easier for you to develop relevant, engaging activities about the history and celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in your class. But Newsela’s products have even more great content, interactive activities, and assessment tools that you can use all year.
If you’re not a Newsela customer yet, sign up for Newsela Lite for free and start your 45-day trial of our premium content to access everything you need to teach about nearly any historical, current event, or student interest topic in your classroom.
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