Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across the country to honor Indigenous history and culture. For the students and staff of ELHS, the day has varying meanings depending on personal experience and perspective.
For some students, like Emmett Singel-Fletcher (11), the day is a chance to celebrate personal and cultural identity. It offers him a space to better connect with his community.
“I participate in the Indigenous community in East Lansing, and also up north because the tribe that I’m enrolled in is up there,” Singel-Fletcher said. “I’ve been going to powwows since I was little and also to Indigenous youth camps—last year I was a mentor and counselor.”
To some, it’s a day to celebrate their heritage, while for others it’s a day of solemn remembrance.
“It’s nice to have a day, and it’s also not Christopher Columbus Day,” Singel-Fletcher said. “It’s a day to be proud of yourself.”
Other students don’t feel as personally connected to the day. Cesar Gray (12) hasn’t given the holiday much thought, despite being of both Mayan and Aztec descent.
“I didn’t even know if it existed,” Gray said.
This contrast among students shows how Indigenous Peoples’ Day can resonate differently depending on personal background and experience.
English teacher Stirling Korte-Murdoch uses the day to educate her students about the history of the land and the culture that our school is built upon.
“As an Indigenous person and educator, Indigenous Peoples’ Day holds deep personal and cultural significance,” Korte-Murdoch said. “It is a time to honor the strength, knowledge and resilience of Indigenous peoples, both past and present.”
Korte said part of the school’s mission is to help students understand that ELHS is located on land traditionally belonging to the Anishinaabeg, the Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples, that was ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.
“Remembering this truth helps us center respect and understanding for the first peoples of this area,” Korte-Murdoch said. “In the past, I have invited singers and dancers from the Ziibiwing Center to share traditional music and dance while also explaining the meaning and history behind each performance. We will hopefully be having them back this year.”
Teacher Jennifer LaPointe emphasizes the spiritual and cultural importance of Indigenous perspectives and correcting misconceptions about identity.
“I’m not sure if the staff and students [at ELHS] understand the spiritual connection of Indigenous people to land and animals,” LaPointe said.
For students like Singel-Fletcher, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a chance to reflect and celebrate identity. For others like Gray, it is simply another day on the calendar. And for the staff, it provides an opportunity to educate their pupils about history and culture.
To some, the fact that the day is acknowledged is enough; however, to others, the fact that the only acknowledgement they see is a banner on a TV screen cycling through news and events feels like an insult to their culture and the struggles of their ancestors.
“Considering the number of other holidays observed by the school and community, it would be meaningful if Indigenous Peoples’ Day were also formally recognized,” Korte said. “Doing so would allow students and staff to participate in cultural activities, reflection and education that honor Indigenous heritage.”
