For the second year, the United States has recognized the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day – prompting a celebration of Indigenous culture by the University of Nebraska Inter-Tribal Exchange at the Nebraska Union on Oct. 10, 2022.

UNITE chose to celebrate the day by handing out Indigenous recipes such as fry bread and wojapi, a berry jam, to students and staff at the Nebraska Union. They shared facts about Indigenous people as well as debunked commonly held stereotypes.

“It helps people get some knowledge about us and show people that we’re just like them even though our culture is a little different,” said Jean Parker-Morris, a senior child, youth and family studies major.

Sophie James, a sophomore nutrition and health sciences major, said that the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is important because it brings awareness to the historical ramifications of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas and the toll it took on Indigenous populations, as well as celebrates the accomplishments of Indigenous people.

“It decolonizes our country and lets people know that Columbus was not a good person. He was a mass murderer,” James said. “We need to take those steps for everyone to be included and to support us because our voices aren’t really heard, especially on a college campus where they’re kind of suppressed.”

For 85 years, the United States has federally celebrated the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, but with a strong push from Native Americans and activists, on Oct. 8, 2021, President Joe Biden made a proclamation stating that Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be observed nationally on the same day as Columbus Day....