Whether you celebrate both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, one, or neither, education about the history of indigenous people worldwide is extremely necessary every day of the year.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is more than just a name change, it is a jumping off point for a comprehensive change in the way we educate about the history of colonization, equality, environmentalism, and activism.
For many of us, our knowledge about the history of and present-day experiences of global indigenous peoples is sorely lacking. Thankfully, Issuu is home to a wide array of publications that celebrate indigenous communities, and educate about the experiences and history of these peoples.
Let’s take a look at five of the many publications on this topic.
This publication celebrates Canadian Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and highlights the fact that Indegenous Peoples’ Day and Month is a time to “celebrate and honour the history, recognize the strength, and celebrate the resilience of Indigenous communities across Canada”. This publication draws awareness to the recent and chilling discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds of a former residential school, that was once used to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children. At the same time, the publication celebrates the strength, beauty, and enduring culture of the indigenous people of Canada.
This publication contains excerpts from a list of books curated by Fernwood Publishing, that highlight the “historical and contemporary importance of Indigenous sovereignty”. Education is the best way to learn from the mistakes of the past and actively work to build a more equitable future, and this publication is a gold mine of must-read books on the topic. Among the selected works include:
Living in Indigenous Sovereignty by Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara with Gladys Rowe
Warrior Life: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence by Pamela Palmater
Making Space for Indigenous Feminism, 2nd Edition, Edited by Joyce Greene
The International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a global organization that invests “in rural people, empowering them to increase their food security, improve the nutrition of their families and increase their incomes. We help them build resilience, expand their businesses and take charge of their own development.” This publication showcases the top three projects that work to help improve the lives of indigenous people across the globe. The projects listed include efforts in Peru, Cameroon, and India and are truly inspirational in the way they work to empower and support these global communities.
This publication celebrates the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, highlights local Indigenous community members, and various community projects. Within the publication you can learn about Doris Dowan-Pratt, a Dakota Elder who revitalized the Dakota language through developing a phonetic writing system, and left behind a legacy of education, leadership, and mentorship.
This publication deals with the art of the Indigenous people of Australia. As the artistic director Janina Harding says, “This year's theme Sacred Sites and Places of Significance invites a powerful artistic response that recognises the intrinsic value and importance of controlling and protecting our sacred sites.” The art and stories within the publication are truly stunning, and tell the story of various artists who have recently passed away, efforts to continue the Cairns Art Fair during COVID, the Cairns Fashion Show, and local community events that include live theatre, fashion, music, and comedy.
For this year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day let us both celebrate the beauty and resiliency of these global communities, while also taking the time to reflect and learn from the past. These five publications offer a glance into just a few of these communities and their history. Let these stories inspire you to continue this process of education throughout the entire year.
The Issuu platform is proudly home to a wide array of publications that deal with Indigenous people, art, community, and history - discover more today!