Last year, Seattle joined Minneapolis as the second major city to pass resolutions renaming the second Monday in October, the Federal holiday Columbus Day, to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  Their resolutions, both of which were driven by the Native community, followed the passage of an Indigenous Peoples’ Day resolution in Berkeley, CA in 1992 and South Dakota’s passage of Native American Day in 1990.  Filmmaker Dallas Pinkham recently sat down with the organizers behind Seattle’s resolution for a look at how their efforts to establish Indigenous Peoples’ Day came to be.

The second Monday of October has long been recognized as Columbus Day, but in Seattle, it will now be known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  This resolution stems from efforts that began in the 1970s by members of the American Indian Movement; efforts continued today by the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.  Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates the many native tribes of the United States, and recognizes the fact that Columbus was not a hero to the native people, whom he sought to enslave upon his arrival here.

Watch the video to find out what Indigenous Peoples’ Day means to the Native people of the Pacific Northwest.

Produced by a Vision Media Maker Intern for IN Close. Learn more at: http://kcts9.org/in-close

Featuring; from top left clockwise: Matt Remle (Lakota), Michael Vendiola (Swinomish), Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee), Nahaan (Tlingit)

Dallas Pinkham (Yakama, Southern Cheyenne, Nez Perce, Grand Ronde, and Potawatomi) from the Yakama Nation is a Seattle based actor, artist and filmmaker.