Bienvenidos Mi Gente!!
About this event on January 18, 2019 we are uniting Indigenous peoples across the world to stand together to bring awareness to the injustices affecting Indigenous men, women and children. Indigenous peoples from North and South America, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean are a target of genocide.
“We march because we refuse to be silent!”
“We march because we will not be forgotten!”
“We march because our time is NOW!”
Gathering in Washington, DC on this historic day will be influencers, trailblazers, leaders, media, artists, celebrities, and people that want to make a difference and believe that Indigenous rights are human and environmental rights. January 18, 2019 will be an epic and historic convening with united voices on a major platform which will be monumental and impactful and most importantly governments will be forced to listen and take notice that we as Indigenous people will not be ignored and that we are still here.
“Does anyone here know why we celebrate the Indigenous People’s Day?”
“Who knows who Christopher Columbus was?” Anybody?!
Ok, let me try again, “Cristobal Colon? Cristoforo Colombo? Cristóvão Colón?”
Better question, “What about the Taíno people? Who were they?” Do you know the answer to that?
The Taínos were the people who lived on the island of Puerto Rico before anyone from Europe came. There were indigenous people, gente indigena, all over North and South America, for thousands of years. Do you know anything about the Taínos?
It is essential to teach the history of indigenous people in the Americas so that people as a whole can understand why this is so important. In addition, as more Puerto Ricans are arriving on the U.S. mainland as environmental refugees in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, there is an urgency to educate people about Puerto Rico and its complex history of colonization. I feel that teachers can use this march as a lesson about Taínos and Columbus as a way to approach these topics and to affirm the identities and history of our students with Caribbean heritage. But, that’s just my opinion.
Here’s what you should know:
- Who are the Taínos? Where did they live?
Taino, Arawakan-speaking people who at the time of Christopher Columbus’s exploration inhabited what are now Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Once the most numerous indigenous people of the Caribbean, the Taino may have numbered one or two million at the time of the Spanish conquest in the late 15th century. They had long been on the defensive against the aggressive Carib people, who had conquered the Lesser Antilles to the east.
- What do you know about indigenous people in America?
I’ve read that there has been a recent recognition of indigenous movements on an international scale. The membership of the United Nations voted to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, despite dissent from some of the stronger countries of the Americas.
- What do you know about Columbus’ voyage to America?
Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorers had sailed to Greenland and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)
Be a part of the movement.
Be a part of history.
Be a part of the change.
Being a part of a movement requires movement! The creator blessed you with the tools needed to serve his purpose… don’t complain about the problem when you refuse to use the tools provided. It’s happening! On January 18, 2019 the people of this nation, of all indigenous backgrounds & beyond, will march in honor of #indigenouspeople from around the world. Join the movement by marching in solidarity with us. . #indigenouspeoplesmarch
#indigenouspeoplesmovement ✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼
BeautifulBoricuaStyle 