Shoshone-Bannock tribe honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day at ISU
POCATELLO, Idaho (ISU) – The Shoshone-Bannock tribe celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday at Idaho State University with the flash of dancing feathers, songs, and poignant vignettes.
“We want people to know who we are, where we are, and where we come from. We want them to know that this is, you know, our homeland, and we want them to know what it was like prior to them coming here,” said the Chairwoman of the Fort Hall Business Council Donna Thompson. “We want them to feel as we do. We want everybody to respect our homelands just as we do, respect our culture, and just get to know us.
This year’s theme – “Beyond Land Acknowledgement: Indigenous Knowledge. Sovereignty in Action,” encouraged participants to understand at a deeper level the tribe’s independence, as well as its “life ways,” customs, perspectives and the modern contributions of Shoshone-Bannock people.
“Sovereignty is an expression of who we are – the Shoshone-Bannock. Sovereignty comes within our people, based on our culture and traditions,” said the tribe’s Assistant General Counsel Gaylen V. Edmo. “We exercise sovereignty in many ways – by selecting our form of government, defining our membership, and negotiating with the United States. Each decision we, the Business Council, make or choose not to make is an exercise of our tribal sovereignty.”
Tribal members shared their culture through dance, singing, arts and crafts, flute performances and more.
Multiple orators explored tribal sovereignty and the need to connect with Indigenous knowledge and pass it on to future generations.
“Indigenous Peoples Day means to me my identity,” said Miss Native Idaho State University Danella Murphy. “I would say that for a lot of people, [it’s] being able to be proud of who you are and where you come from, regardless of what kind of Shoshone you are – if you’re Bannock, Paiute.”
The celebration concluded with a grand finale Indigenous fashion show and a performance by Danza Azteca Quetzalcoatl.
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