To be Indigenous, to honor our ancestors and our incredibly resilient DNA means we have the responsibility to defend our right to exist at all cost.

It’s pretty simple we are mothers and fathers, we are sisters and brothers, we are daughters and we are sons, we are relatives and all we want is to live on the land as our ancestors intended. Our work comes out of the love we have for life, for the plants that provide oxygen, for our water sustaining us and making up nearly 70% of our bodies, for the earth that provides our foundation, for the animals that give so willingly to humans, and for the natural order.

Due to the way, the system of America was set-up, it hurt our identity and created a narrative meant to progress settler-colonialism. With our resistance and coming together as a community we are reversing those atrocities and are working on creating a world that honors Indigenous existence.

Our 6th annual celebration is bringing many community members together to provide a virtual experience during this time of social distancing.

Click to visit our Facebook Event Page

Agenda

• Friday, 10/9/20: Voice of O’odham Students at ASU will be hosting #IPD20AZ event discussing #LandBack from an O’odham perspective. (Zoom Link)
  • Meeting ID: 883 3867 0459 | must download Zoom App or call (602) 753-0140 and input Meeting ID when promoted. 

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• Saturday, 10/10/20: Indigenous Peoples Day gathering from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
  • 2301 North Central Avenue
    Phoenix, AZ 85004

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• Saturday, 10/10/20: Gather: The Fight to Revitalize our Native Foodways, free virtual screening. Register Here

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• Sunday, 10/11/20: Day of Movement | Prayer & Ceremony

 This past year has taught us the traditional responsibility of taking care, praying and thinking of one another. We have seen our people hurt and have lost loved ones. This is nothing new, we have been facing these atrocities since colonization. This year for IPD we really wanted to offer prayer and ceremonial offerings to the holy ones, to our ancestors, to our creator. | #IPD20AZ #DayOfMovement

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• Monday, 10/12/20: Indigenous Peoples Day 2020 in Arizona | Everyday is Indigenous Peoples Day from 10:00 AM -7:00 PM| Register Here
  • 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
  • 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

IPDAZ organizers are a grassroots family who came together in 2015. The goal then was to raise awareness in relation to the national Indigenous movement to abolish columbus day and replace it with the more friendly and accurate Indigenous Peoples Day. Our original goal is upheld to this day while acknowledging settler colonialism is a continued problem and obstacle for a more just reality. We challenge the rhetoric of discovery and the corrupt ides of “conquering land;” rather our main attention focuses on our Indigenous people/ our communities and the fact we never surrendered our inherent power. It is great to see in our lifetime current generations who are upholding their ancestral power and taking matters into their own hands. We are changing the narrative and building capacity for a better today.

This year’s theme, “Everyday is Indigenous Peoples Day”, honors us with all its blessings and responsibilities. It is an understanding that our individual existence is a resistance to a society that wishes to eradicate us and the more we heal and unite we control what tomorrow looks like. IPDAZ believes having a connection that will transcend across the land and communities is what we need as a society. With the way 2020 has been treating us we need to go back to our roots, connect with our ancestors, and engage in ceremony. 

Our blessings of an organization have expanded and we are partnering up with amazing community members to bring you a weekend long celebration. These community members are:

• Phoenix Art Museum
• American Indian Student Support Services
• Voices of O’odham Students at ASU (V.O.S.A)
• Heard Museum
• UNICEF
• Alliance of Indigenous Peoples at ASU
• Indigenous Wellness Alliance at ASU
• Chispa AZ
• Labriola National American Indian Data Center

With this weekend long virtual experience we hope that you feel close and connected. We know that our numbers will grow and with the prayers to come out of this weekend will ensure we will see each other all soon. Click here for the Facebook Event Page.

Indigenous Peoples Day Arizona, honor the original people and feel privileged to organize our annual event on traditional Akmiel O’odham land. Within close proximity are Pueblo ruins, Yavapai territory, Tohono O’odham, PiiPash, and Hopi ruins; all of which provide a small glimpse of the people we include in our circle.

We welcome everyone to come join us on Zoom and Facebook live and enjoy a weekend of music, dialogues, learning, and giving.

See you soon ++the weekend of 10/09/20 to 10/12/20++