Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day!
Indigenous Peoples Day recognizes and celebrates the heritage of Native Americans and the history of their Nations.
We humbly acknowledge that CRWA’s work is carried out across the traditional territory of the Massachusett, Nipmuc, and Wampanoag nations and recognize Indigenous people as past, present, and future caretakers of our watershed.
How will you celebrate the heritage, history, achievements, and resilience of First Nations peoples this October?
Find a way to celebrate– explore this list of upcoming cultural events and celebrations provided by the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA).
EVENTS ACROSS THE WATERSHED
HAVARD POWWOW — Sept. 28
Attend the 26th annual Harvard Powwow at the McCurdy Outdoor Track (145 N.Harvard Street) on September 28th in Allston! This event is organized by a committee of Native students from Harvard College and Harvard graduate schools. The powwow is free and open to the public. Grand entry is at 1 PM. LEARN MORE >
BOSTON’S INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY SOCIAL AND DANCE — Oct. 12
Attend Boston’s Indigenous Community Social and Dance on Saturday, October 12th, at 105 South Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain, to meet your Indigenous Neighbors. The social will occur from 5 PM to 9 PM, with a guest speaker at 7 PM, and an after party from 9 PM to 11 PM. For more details, contact the North American Indian Center of Boston via email or by phone: 617.232.0343.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY WATERTOWN — Oct. 13
Join Watertown’s Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration at Hosmer Elementary School (1 Concord St) from 12 PM to 4 PM for crafts, music, dancing, storytelling, and food. LEARN MORE >
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY NEWTON — Oct. 14
Attend the 4th Annual Indigenous Peoples Day Ceremonial Celebration at Albemarle Field in Newton on Monday, October 14th from 11 AM - 5 PM! Each year, IPD Newton uplifts Indigenous peoples and voices on Indigenous Peoples Day in Newton. All are welcome to this free, family-friendly, Indigenous-led event to enjoy great music, cultural dances, and presentations, support local Indigenous vendors and nonprofits, and eat delicious food! CRWA will be leading an activity for kids about water quality and river health. We hope to see you there! LEARN MORE >
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY BROOKLINE — Oct. 14
Hear from three speakers addressing Indigenous Past, Indigenous Present, and Indigenous Future at the Brookline Indigenous Peoples Celebration Committee’s IPD Celebration on October 14th at the Brookline Health Building (11 Pierce St. in Brookline Village). The speakers will begin at 1 PM, don’t miss it! LEARN MORE >
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY CAMBRIDGE — Oct. 14
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on October 14th at U Park (65 Sydney St, Cambridge) from 12 PM to 6 PM where Indigenous Peoples Day Cambridge will host vendors, ceremonial dances, and storytelling. For more details, email chaliinaru@gmail.com.
LEARN ABOUT MA INDIGENOUS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda is working to support legislation benefiting Indigenous Peoples statewide like recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day, protection of Native American heritage, removal of racist mascots, and more. See their priorities here.
SUPPORT LOCAL INDIGENOUS-LED ORGANIZATIONS
North American Indian Center Of Boston is Massachusetts's oldest urban Indian center. Their mission is to empower the Native American community with the goal of improving the quality of life of Indigenous peoples. NAICOB provides a wide range of cultural, social, educational, and professional services to Native peoples in the Commonwealth.
United American Indians of New England is a Native-led advocacy organization of Native people and our supporters who fight back against racism, strive to correct historical wrongs and support Indigenous struggles worldwide. Each year, UAINE organizes the annual National Day of Mourning on November 24th at Coles Hill in Plymouth, MA. This annual remembrance is held to honor Indigenous ancestors and Native resilience as well as a protest against the racism and oppression that Indigenous people continue to experience worldwide.
Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience. Cultural Survival envisions a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance. They do so through advocacy, community media, radio, and fundraising.
Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective is a regional organization led by womxn and two-spirits boldly reclaiming the right to food and relationship to the earth for indigenous peoples. Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective initiates and helps sustain existing community-led food and medicine projects across tribal communities in the Northeast to restore polycultural food systems and local fisheries, transmission of traditional medicine and foodways, all while reengaging spiritual foundations of these livelihoods.
Native Land Conservancy is a Native-run land conservation group with a mission to preserve healthy landscapes for all living things and help restore land back to its original state wherever possible. We draw upon our collective traditional cultural knowledge as indigenous people with generations of direct experience in the woodlands, coastlines, and waterways of New England.
