Indigenous Peoples Day Planned for October 12 in San Francisco

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

SAN FRANCISCO - To commemorate 519 years of Indigenous Peoples' resistance to colonization throughout the Americas, AIM West is coordinating a march and rally on October 12.

Join the Mexica Teocalli Traditional Dancers at the Yerba Buena Gardens

The march will begin in San Francisco's Dolores Park and conclude at the Yerba Buena Gardens for a noon rally. Traditional dancers, drummers, singers, and speakers will rally to protest the Euro-American recognition of Columbus Day.

March participants will begin assembling at 9:30 am pdt and will leave at 10:30 am pdt to march downtown to Yerba Buena Gardens, located on Mission between Third and Fourth Streets.

Two featured speakers at the event will be respected elders:

Bill Means-Oglala Sioux

Bill Means, Oglala Sioux and brother of Russell Means, will be one of the speakers. Means is a founder of the International Indian Treaty Council and currently president of the board of directors. During his nine years as Executive Director, he was responsible for the establishment of a system for documenting human rights violations against Indians. He is co-founder of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous populations and an expert on United States and American Indian Treaty relations.

Means is on the board of directors of the World Archeological Congress and has lectured extensively at major universities across America and abroad. He graduated from Black Hills State University, has been in many environmental campaigns including the Black Hills Alliance and is a Vietnam combat veteran.

Ann Marie Sayers
-Mutsun Ohlone

Ann Marie Sayers, Mutsun Ohlone is the chairwoman of the Indian Canyon Nation and director of the Costanoan Indian Research Center, Inc. She is the traditional caretaker of Indian Canyon, the only sovereign Indian lands in central coastal California. Sayers is a recognized local, national and international California Indian leader focusing on environmental protection, repatriation and religious freedom. Most recently she was one of the leaders of the group in Santa Cruz, California, to win concessions from KB Home to establish a permanent cultural easement on about three acres in a development where two Ohlone Indians human remains uncovered.

WHAT:   Indigenous Peoples Day March & Rally

WHERE:   San Francisco's Delores Park to Yerba Buena Gardens

WHEN:   Wednesday, October 12, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm pdt

WHO:   Featured Speakers - Ann Marie Sayers & Bill Means

Arthur Jacobs of AIM-West contributed to this story.

posted October 3, 2011 11:30 am edt