Farm Sanctuary recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day — a day honoring the first inhabitants and stewards of the land now known as the United States; their histories and cultures; and their ongoing fight for sovereignty, recognition, and the return of their ancestral homelands taken through broken treaties and acts of violence and genocide. 

In the past, the U.S. government designated the second Monday in October as a federal holiday and celebrated it as Columbus Day, despite the historical and contemporary realities of colonial violence that Christopher Columbus represents. Through campaigns and movements led by Indigenous peoples on this continent and throughout the world, there has been an increasing shift toward recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, including an official proclamation from the U.S. federal government in 2021 acknowledging that, “For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures.”

Many who have long been advocating for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and celebrating Indigenous cultures and resistance are doing so in tandem with recognizing how Indigenous-led communities and movements are on the frontlines of climate leadership. As the impacts of the climate crisis become increasingly evident and exacerbated by industries with colonial roots, such as industrialized agriculture, Indigenous land defenders and water protectors have consistently and persistently been organizing for change to protect our shared ecosystem.

Organizations like the NDN collective — an Indigenous-led organization working to build the collective power of Indigenous peoples and to promote justice and equity for the betterment of all living beings and the planet — insist that symbols like Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Native American Heritage Month in November and the movements they represent matter. They help to grow a narrative that fuels change and counters attempts to invisibilize and erase the presence and rights to self-determination of Indigenous peoples. As the NDN Collective stated,

“Indigenous people are fighting for your future, too.

… what’s good for Indigenous Peoples is good for all Peoples.

We fight to honor, defend, and protect the original homelands of our ancestors, our non-human relations, Water, Sky, and everything that remains.

We fight for Indigenous-led, community-based solutions, of which our ancestors modeled in the path towards self-determination

We fight for the future — the generations who are inheriting these modern-day problems. The ones who will carry this fight to its conclusion. Strong, courageous, and unapologetically Indigenous.

But our fight is not ours alone, because our future is a shared one. And the detriments that we face as a result of colonization, capitalism, and oppression affects us all.

So as we advocate, take action, and challenge various violent and destructive systems, know that we are fighting for your future too.

One where our children, relatives, and Mother Earth can thrive in harmony once again.”

We recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a time to grow and deepen our commitment to supporting Indigenous resistance and sovereignty and demonstrating solidarity — not just during this designated day but throughout the year.

For Farm Sanctuary, an organization providing sanctuary for farm animals on ancestral Native land, it is important that we acknowledge the history of erasure and violence toward Indigenous peoples and the realities of our current food system as a legacy of colonization and settler colonial animal agriculture.

During European colonization, livestock-based agriculture was a driving force in expansion, and farm animals became instruments in the displacement of Native peoples from their home territories. We recognize this harm and commit to working toward affirming and honoring the realities of injustice and inequity experienced by tribal communities throughout the United States through dialogue, education, relationship-building, and collaboration.

As we reflect on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we acknowledge:

The Seneca Nation: In Watkins Glen, New York, Farm Sanctuary operates on the traditional land of the Seneca people, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center, about two hours from the Watkins Glen sanctuary, is the home of the Seneca Iroquois National Museum. The museum’s exhibits share the vast history and rich culture and heritage of the Seneca Nation, the largest and westernmost nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, who are referred to as “the Keepers of the Western door.”

The Quissauvitam: In Acton, California, Farm Sanctuary operates on the traditional land of the Quissauvitam, who are citizens of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. During Farm Sanctuary’s virtual 2020 Celebration for the Turkeys event, Tribal President of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians (FTBMI), Rudy Ortega, Jr., shared  the history of the many tribal lineages that are part of the FTBMI Nation and their commitment to preserving their cultures after years of abductions, attempted assimilation, enslavement, and broken treaties by European colonists and the U.S. government.

We invite you to join us in continued reflection and recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the culture, leadership, and experiences of Indigenous peoples throughout the year.

At Farm Sanctuary, we share acknowledgments of various heritage and history months, awareness weeks, and days of recognition throughout the year to celebrate and honor the diverse cultures and lived experiences of our community and to show respect for and affirm the dignity of those who have been historically oppressed and marginalized. We do this in tandem with internal initiatives to foster an organizational culture that supports greater equity, social justice, and belonging.