10/12/2026
We are closed today for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, not Columbus Day. 💜
We take this day with love and respect for all Indigenous Nations, to honor their legacy and their presence in our communities today.
Why this day? Indigenous leaders first proposed it at a 1977 United Nations conference in Geneva. South Dakota became the first state to replace Columbus Day in 1990, Berkeley became the first city in 1992, and Virginia first recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2020. Columbus Day celebrates a man whose voyages led to violence, enslavement, and devastating loss of land and life for Native peoples. Indigenous Peoples’ Day puts the focus on the people who were here first and are still here.
Virginia is home to 11 state-recognized tribes, including the Monacan Indian Nation.
Curious where to start? Here are a few places made by or centered on Native voices:
📍 Native Land Digital: find out whose traditional land you live on
📚 Native Knowledge 360° from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian: history and lessons that center Native voices
🔎 IllumiNative: a Native-led movement changing the story told about Native peoples
🤝 Native Governance Center: a guide to land acknowledgement from a Native-led organization
🏛️ The websites of Virginia’s tribes, like the Monacan Indian Nation and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe
Ways to honor today: support Native-owned businesses, give to Native-led organizations, and learn the history of the tribes in your own state.
We’ll be back Tuesday, October 13.
