Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day Oct. 11

October 8, 2021 Becky Marburger Leave a Comment

The second Monday in October is Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin, a day recognizing the earliest inhabitants of our region. This year on October 11, we “recognize the immense importance of the Native Nations to this state, and reaffirm the significance of the Native Nations’ sovereignty, culture and history,” as declared in Executive Order #50 which established Indigenous Peoples Day in Wisconsin in 2019.

Incorporated into the daily mission of PBS Wisconsin is a longstanding commitment to partner with the members of our Indigenous community to amplify their histories, affirm and celebrate their contemporary presence and contributions to our state, listen to their stories, and offer authentic educational resources for use by Wisconsin teachers and caregivers.

On Indigenous Peoples Day, in particular, we offer our deep gratitude for that partnership and invite our audience to celebrate with us by taking a deep dive into some of our resources that celebrate our Native population.

Tribal Histories

This series of half-hour documentaries features tribal storytellers sharing the culture and oral traditions that have shaped their communities across generations. Tribal Histories presents the histories of all eleven federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands located in Wisconsin, plus one tribe that is seeking to regain its federal status. These stories are the product of a shift long called for by members of our First Nations to tell their own stories in their own voices to non-Native audiences.

Stream Tribal Histories online or with the free PBS App. You can watch these stories on our Facebook page, too! Beginning Oct. 11, one Tribal Histories story will be shared on Facebook story every Monday at 7 p.m. until all the programs have been shared. Watch the first of the weekly series on Facebook now.

Wisconsin First Nations

Created in concert with a coalition of partners, Wisconsin First Nations provides caregivers, educators and pre-service teachers accurate and authentic educational materials for teaching about the American Indian Nations of Wisconsin, along with teacher professional development resources. Materials include videos, lesson plans, books, and more! Use the interactive map to discover whose tribal lands and which nations are located closest to you, too!

This resource assists educators in fulfilling Wisconsin Education Act 31, the statutory requirement that all school districts provide instruction in the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of the American Indian nations in the state. Explore Wisconsin First Nations now.

Join PBS Wisconsin in November for Native American Heritage Month and the national celebration of our First Nations communities. All month, on broadcast and on-demand, we will be highlighting a wide range of public media content highlighting the voices of Indigenous Americans.

Made in Wisconsin Wisconsin First Nations Culture Native American Tribal Histories