CCBC is proud to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This national holiday, established by proclamation of President Biden in 2021, honors the diverse cultures and traditions that flourished long before the formation of the United States. Indigenous Peoples’ Day urges us to move beyond the narrow accounts in history books, to deepen our respect for the legacies of native communities. It does not celebrate a single historical event; but instead, it is a tribute to the resilience and innovation of multiple communities of Indigenous Peoples’. By acknowledging these truths, we honor the wisdom and resilience that guided indigenous communities through the centuries. Their ingenuity deeply influenced our knowledge of agriculture, medicine, music, art and democracy.
At CCBC, we never stop working to foster an environment that is safe and welcoming for all. Indigenous Peoples’ Day reminds us that all institutions of higher learning must be built around a community rooted in respect and understanding, where every voice is heard and valued. This reflection is particularly apt for community college professionals whose institutions have been built to embrace all who enter our “open door.”
Indigenous Peoples’ Day offers us an opportunity to reflect on the work we do and the way in which we do it – through the lens of the eyes of the people we serve, no matter individual cultural backgrounds. The day represents a symbol of hope, of healing and of having the strength to create a strong sense of community that includes and welcomes all of us. In the lyrical tradition of The Native American Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving address, we greet the natural world under the canopy of blending our hearts and minds together as one, elevating us to a position of gratitude. The message is a beautiful reminder of those natural things for which we should be thankful…water, trees, sun, moon…as well as truth, justice, and righteousness as our minds strive to gather as one and we learn to live in harmony. This remains as noble a goal for modern Americans of the 21st century as it was for peoples of centuries past.