YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Today is Columbus Day, a national holiday that’s been recognized for years.
But it’s also Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which President Biden established back in 2021.
The YWCA in Hanover is hosting a teen workshop to share more about the Indigenous culture and the meaning behind this day.
The nonprofit organization says its mission is to promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
With today being Indigenous Peoples’ Day, YWCA Hanover is hosting a workshop for kids grade 6 through 12 to discuss the legacy of Christopher Columbus while showcasing a Native American flute circle with Seraph Sound Sanctuary, and working on an art piece with Raine Valentine, an Indigenous artist educator.
Valentine's ancestors are of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota.
Over the years, Valentine has been learning more stories of her ancestors and sharing those stories through her art.
“It just became this symbiotic relationship where what I was learning about my culture and about my ancestors just was always parallel to how I taught art and how I created art, and so it’s been a really cool journey seeing them come together,” Valentine said.
She says Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a reminder that, at one point, our ancestors came from a place where we lived in harmony with the land.
“Indigenous people aren't just Native American people. We all have these ties somewhere, and when we start connecting to our ancestors and our roots, then we can really start uncovering parts of ourselves and who we really are,” Valentine said. “And then we can communicate with each other on a more authentic level, and then we can have better relationships. We can remember we're all connected. That's the whole point.”
Valentine teaches middle school art, and she teaches adults, where she hopes to provide a space for people to be themselves and get connected with their roots.
Today, she’ll be leading an art session where students will get to work on a piece together in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
For more information on the event, click here.