Dear John,

Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday that uplifts and centers Indigenous communities across the country. In addition to commemorating the history of Indigenous people, honoring their culture, and celebrating their contributions to this country, this day directly challenges the deeply rooted legacy of white supremacy and violence in the United States.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day reimagines Columbus Day, changing the focus from a celebration of colonization to a day of resistance by revealing historical truths about the mass murder and oppression of an entire group of people.

At NIRH, we believe our words matter and the stories we choose to celebrate matter, this is why we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an organization.

Today we acknowledge how the burden of reproductive oppression has historically fallen on Indigenous people -- and this continues to be the case in 2019. For example, the Hyde Amendment denies abortion coverage to people who access health care through Indian Health Services (IHS). At the same time, Indigenous people have been at the forefront of the movement for reproductive freedom, fighting for autonomy for all of us -- from Tewa Women United, with which NIRH was proud to partner, to Indigenous Women Rising, an organization that runs an abortion fund for Indigenous communities across North America.

We must continue speaking truth to power and centering those most marginalized. Today as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let us also honor the legacy that Indigenous communities continue to leave in the movement for reproductive freedom and social justice at large.

In solidarity,