Indigenous Peoples Day opens with ceremony and sunrise
Sage and chatter filled the morning air as people made tobacco offerings at Bde Maka Ska. The large turnout gathered on the shores of Thomas Beach in Minneapolis for a prayer and celebration ceremony at the dawn of Indigenous Peoples Day.
Organizers have held the ceremony since 2014, the year the Minneapolis City Council voted to observe Indigenous Peoples Day.
Indigenous Peoples Day opens with ceremony and sunrise
“One of our values as a people is our people, our loved ones, our community, our relatives, our neighbors — the fact that our existence is resistance,” said Christine McDonald, American Indian Community Specialist with the City of Minneapolis. McDonald, who is Anishinaabe and Hunkpapa, said she advocated for the sunrise ceremony when the city first adopted Indigenous Peoples Day.
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Minneapolis police Sgt. J. Gomez, right, watches as attendees participate in a sage smudging ritual during an Indigenous Peoples Day sunrise ceremony on the shore of Bde Maka Ska on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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An attendee prepares a sage smudging ceremony with two children before they pray and place tobacco offerings into Bde Maka Ska during an Indigenous Peoples Day sunrise gathering on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, center, participates in a sage smudging ritual with a young attendee as Gov. Tim Walz, left, looks on during an Indigenous Peoples Day sunrise ceremony on the shore of Bde Maka Ska on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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“We are still here. All of the policies that were put in place by the government to try to erase us, and we're still here today. And so, every day that we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day — significant,” McDonald said.
Minnesota has recognized Indigenous Peoples Day as a state holiday since 2023.
Nicole Matthews, a White Earth Nation descendant, is CEO of the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition and serves on the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors. The directors group includes leaders from Native-led organizations serving the urban Native American community in the Twin Cities.
“Ceremony is really important to who we are and to the foundation of who we are. As you can see, community wants to start out in that good way,” Matthews said.
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Chaske Henry, a singer with Toka Maza Oka, also known as Iron Enemy, addresses attendees before a prayer during a sunrise ceremony celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on the shore of Bde Maka Ska on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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Nicole Matthews poses for a portrait holding a proclamation signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declaring Indigenous Peoples Day during a sunrise ceremony on the shore of Bde Maka Ska on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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Attendees gather along the shore of Bde Maka Ska to pray and place tobacco offerings into the lake during an Indigenous Peoples Day sunrise ceremony on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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She also noted the three-alarm fire that affected tribal offices housed at the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe building on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis Sunday. She said she thought about the building and how she wanted to come together with intention, to be in community. Several Native organizations, tribal offices and nonprofits are located along the stretch of Franklin Avenue.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan read the state proclamation as the ceremony began. The document acknowledges that the name of the state is “derived from the Dakota phrase ‘Mni Sóta Maḳoce,’ which translates to ‘Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds.’”
Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis police and fire departments were also in attendance.
Celebrations continue at Battle Creek Regional Park
Food trucks in the colors of yellows, blues and reds lined the parking lot at Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood.
Hundreds gathered at the Native American Food Truck Festival to enjoy local art, performances and a basketball tournament. It was held in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples Weekend, which began on Saturday.
"People were trying new foods, and then all of our vendors were showcasing their beautiful beadwork, regalia art,” said co-organizer Tara Perron. She said the morning began with a water blessing ceremony at the creek.
Indigenous Peoples Day at Battle Creek Regional Park
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Attendees browse clothing, blankets and handmade goods at vendor booths during an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at Battle Creek Regional Park on Monday. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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Six-year-old Tekpani Quiroz plays on a zip line while wearing traditional dance regalia during an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at Battle Creek Regional Park on Monday. The celebration brings families and community members together to honor Indigenous cultures, traditions and heritage. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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Members of the Ikidowin Acting Ensemble perform during an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at Battle Creek Regional Park on Monday. Founded in 1990 as part of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Ikidowin is the longest-running Native youth theater troupe in the United States. Kerem Yücel | MPR News
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"It's bringing back our connection as human beings to the water and the diverse ecosystems that create this beautiful earth, and I think showing our young people and our elders, as well, that when we come together as a community, it's healing for everyone,” Perron said.
Alex Medina is a teacher at the Montessori American Indian Childcare Center in Roseville. He attended the event with children from the center. They ran around, laughing and playing at the park with one another.
"It's just been great sharing time and space with all of community and seeing all the performers. And you know, it's a ceremony when people perform some of these things [that] were illegal at a certain point, and now they're out in the open and honored,” he said.
Medina says that bringing students out of the classroom to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day honors and uplifts their identity. Medina and other teachers brought children to the multi-day gathering.
"With everything we have going on the planet, it's important for us to dig into and identify our Indigenous roots,” said Medina.
Ikidowin Acting Ensemble, a youth theatre group for Indigenous teens, performed for attendees wearing regalia and Native fashion.
Anthony Lee Fairbanks is in the ensemble. He says he was excited to perform on Indigenous Peoples Day at Battle Creek Regional Park.
"It shows people that we care a lot about our culture,” Fairbanks said. “In our outfits, we show that we know so much about like our culture as well, and like it's also for the community.”
For many at the gathering, Indigenous Peoples Day provides space for connection and celebrating identity.
Events continue throughout Monday around the state.
Chandra Colvin covers Native American communities in Minnesota for MPR News via Report for America , a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
