The Boston Athletic Association (BAA)has decided to schedule the Boston Marathon on October 11, 2021. October 11, 2021 is Indigenous Peoples Day and is meant to celebrate the Indigenous peoples of this land and their contributions (past and present). It is also a time for non-Indigenous people to hold space for Indigenous voices and to reflect on what it means to be good allies as well as colonizers. Unfortunately, the Boston Athletic Association has decided that Indigenous Peoples Day is a "side" holiday that can be usurped. By doing this, they are perpetuating the myth that Indigenous peoples are part of the past and irrelevant .They are also maintaining the falsehood that non-Indigenous desires and ideas are more valuable than the wants and ideas of Indigenous peoples. This is simply not true. The Indigenous Peoples Day Newton Committee's first annual ceremonial celebration for Indigenous People's Day has been disrupted and is in danger of not being able to take place in an open, visible, and accessible public park in the City of Newton. Not only is this a sabotage of celebrations and ceremony in Massachusetts, it undercuts the celebrations and ceremonies everywhere. It hinders the opportunity to uplift Indigenous voices, celebrate, and have ceremony for everyone who participates in the Boston Marathon - which draws people from around the world. Indigenous Peoples Day is a time for everyone to learn more about the history of America as it relates to Indigenous Peoples - because we are all on Indigenous Land. Knowing this history gives context and understanding about how much the Boston Athletic Association’s action preserves the legacy of racism in this country. The BAA has the chance to acknowledge the importance of keeping the spotlight on Indigenous Peoples Day rather than steal the spotlight for the Marathon. There are other days available for the Boston Marathon.
Link to change.org
where you can find and sign the petition.
Petition name .Support Indigenous Day Newton MA.
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