Honor the Earth Pow Wow (WRN image)
Today is Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin. In 2019 Governor Tony Evers signed an Executive Order setting aside the first Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized tribal nations.
This year’s commemoration occurs amid ongoing national revelations regarding the trauma inflicted on families and children at Native American boarding schools during the 19th and 20th Centuries, including at least 11 such schools that operated in Wisconsin.
In 2021, in addition to recognizing the annual observance of Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin, Evers signed Executive Order #136, issuing a formal acknowledgment and apology for Wisconsin’s historical role in Indian boarding schools and declaring support for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.
More than a dozen states now recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day, replacing Columbus Day. It has yet to become a federal holiday.