Columbus Day overlooks a painful colonial history and minimizes the important contributions made by Indigenous peoples throughout this continent’s history. That’s why FCNL has chosen to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead.

Following Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 14th, we came together on Oct. 23 to discuss the importance of the holiday and highlight FCNL’s history of witness on Native American concerns.

We heard from lobbyists Lacina Onco (Shinnecock/Kiowa) and Kerri Colfer (Tlingit), and former FCNL staffer Ruth Flower, about the past, present, and future of FCNL’s advocacy on Native American policy.If you weren’t able to join, you can watch the recording here.

You can take your own steps to advocate in solidarity with Native Americans by contacting your senators and urging them to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (H.R.1585) with strong provisions to expand tribal jurisdiction.

In addition, you can sign up for our Native American Legislative Update (NALU) to receive a monthly account of what is going on in Indian Country and our work on Native American policy.

Finally, Ruth Flower invites Friends to visit the website decolonizingQuakers.org where there are many important tools and resources for Meetings to utilize.

We are grateful for your partnership in this important work.

Speakers

Witnessing in Solidarity with the First Americans

Since 1976, FCNL’s Native American advocacy program has worked to restore and improve U.S. relations with Native nations so that our country honors the promises made in hundreds of treaties with these groups.

FCNL provides information to congressional offices and to national faith groups about the continuing struggles of Native people, and advocates in support of the resilient and inventive solutions proposed by tribal governments and Native American organizations.

A focus of our current work is addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls through expanded tribal provisions in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).