Gatherings for Indigenous Peoples Day in Minnesota

 Anishinabe Academy students march in an Indigenous Peoples Day parade.
Students from the Anishinabe Academy in Minneapolis march in an Indigenous Peoples day parade in St. Paul in October 2018. Over the next few days, celebrations and observations will be held in Minnesota to honor Indigenous Peoples Day.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2018

Indigenous Peoples Day is on Monday, Oct. 14. In 2014, Minneapolis became the first Minnesota city and one of the first large U.S. cities to replace the Columbus Day holiday with that Indigenous Peoples Day.

In 2016, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton issued a statewide proclamation for Indigenous Peoples Day.

Here are some of the events taking place to mark the holiday:

  • On Sunday evening, Pipestone National Monument in southwestern Minnesota will host a Luminary Walk on its walking trail. The 3-quarter mile Circle Trail will be lit with luminaries, and traditional and contemporary Native American music will play as visitors make their way along the trail. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

  • Early Monday morning, Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors is hosting a sunrise ceremony at Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis beginning at 7 a.m.

  • Also on Monday, there’s the Indigenous Peoples Day Parade in St. Paul, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It begins at the American Indian Magnet School at 1075 3rd St. East. Organizers say the theme for this year’s parade is “We Are Still Here!”

  • On Monday afternoon, there will be a roundtable community discussion called “Honoring who? Ending racism in sports” at All My Relations Gallery in Minneapolis. The event is being co-hosted by Pangea Theater and is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

  • Monday evening is an indigenous food tasting, hosted by the Minneapolis American Indian Center, which begins at 5 p.m.

Editor’s note (Oct. 12, 2019): An earlier version of this story included an event that has been cancelled. The story has been updated.

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