Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022: Recognizing the Importance of Historical Context to Health Equity - Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

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Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022: Recognizing the Importance of Historical Context to Health Equity

October 7, 2022

Health & Medicine stands with Indigenous people on October 10th, 2022, in recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

In the United States, Indigenous people represent many different tribes who have experienced the theft of their lands, languages, property, and lives since the arrival of settlers from Europe. Their struggle for justice continues today, often placing them at the forefront of a myriad of social justice movements, sounding a call for freedom, sovereignty, and justice.

Our work at Health & Medicine predicates the struggle to advance equity on valuing all individuals and populations equally and recognizing and rectifying historical injustices. Our decision to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors that work by challenging the increasingly sanitized histories that are often taught about the United States and its founding. Fundamentally, historical context matters to health equity. A celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a step towards recognizing the full scope of American history and the unfinished work of advancing justice and health equity for all peoples.

As public health and health care policy leaders, Health & Medicine invites our partners, other organizations, and our broader government to join us as we celebrate and honor Indigenous people on this special day.

Learn:

Participate:

  • Virtual Panel: Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Transformative Teaching, National Museum of the American Indian (Monday, October 10, 12-1 p.m. CDT)
  • Live Concert: Old Town School of Folk Music’s Indigenous People’s Day Concert 2022 (Monday, October 10, 6:30 p.m. CDT)
  • Virtual Action: Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage Against Colonialism – Round Three
  •  Virtual Film Screening and Lecture: UAF Alaska Native Language Center’s premiere of Awake, followed by a short discussion via Zoom (Monday, October 10, 3 – 4 p.m. CDT)
  • Family Event: Chicago History Museum’s Indigenous People’s Day (Monday, October 10)
    • Panel Discussion: CHM director of collections Julie Wroblewski and project archivist Lydia Wood discuss the work that CHM has done with our collecting practices of Indigenous objects (1:30 – 2:30 p.m. CDT)
    • Drop-in Q&A: Chicago sits on the land of the Potawatomi people, but who are the Potawatomi? What did their lives look like before the city was established and what do their lives look like today? Bring your questions for Indigenous scholar Starla Thompson, who will share stories from her lived experience and the history about this Chicago community (3 – 4 p.m. CDT)
    • Virtual Author Talk: Dr. John Low, professor at Ohio State University, speaks about his book Imprints: The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and the City of Chicago (2016) and his work with CHM as a board member and consultant (4 – 5 p.m. CDT)

Click here for a list of other events in the area and around the country.