On Monday, October 10, 2016 there was a protest of Columbus Day held on the edge of Tappan Square in Oberlin, Ohio. Three Eagle Cloud, long time activist with the American Indian Movement, talked to the crowd about the atrocities committed by Christopher Columbus and his men against the native people of Hispaniola where they landed. Behind him stood a gallows containing 13 nooses which was representative of how his people were executed: 12 nooses for the apostles and one for Jesus. It was an incredibly powerful demonstration. With tears in his eyes, Three Eagle Cloud announced that this would be his last demonstration as he had grown weary and no longer had the energy to fight.
In that crowd were three women from the community whose hearts were stirred to action. Just a month later they met for the first Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee meeting ready to take up the fight. A few weeks later they were joined by a senior at Oberlin High School becoming an inter-generational, woman led group who would make history! The group spent hours researching the history of Christopher Columbus, the original people who stood on the land currently occupied by the city of Oberlin, the growing push nationwide to abolish Columbus Day, and the modern native crises. They networked and sought out allies in both Oberlin and Lorain County. They set up tables at community events to gather signatures of those who supported their cause.
On June 5, 2017 the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee made up of Jean Morning Dove Foggo Simon, Cindi Byron-Dixon, Mary Hammond, and Joella Byron-Dixon along with their support team of Three Eagle Cloud, Sundance, student representatives Jeriel Byron-Dixon and Devon Schultz, and a host of allies from across northern Ohio presented the City Council with a proposal to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Several meetings filled with passion both for and against the change happened in council chambers before the official reading and adoption of the resolution on August 21, 2017 at approximately 8:15. Oberlin became the first city in the state of Ohio to adopt Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The first Indigenous Peoples’ Day was celebrated in 2017, but that is not where the committee’s work ends. They try to be present at local events and host meetings and movie nights once a month. Each year the celebration grows and they look forward to spreading awareness about Indigenous Issues and to continue educational programming that ends myths and misinformation about the culture. The groups official motto is TRUTH RISES. We hope that you will join us.