There is a very large Native American presence here in Arizona, so it was no surprise to hear that Phoenix is the largest US city that observes Indigenous People’s Day in place of Columbus Day (this year, October 10th), which was first celebrated in Colorado in 1909. There has been a popular movement in recent years to replace Columbus Day with a holiday that celebrates the indigenous people of the United States. The weekend of the holiday, we were able to see the 34th annual Native American Connections parade in Phoenix in honor of that celebration.
NAC Parade
We rose early on Saturday to catch the parade as it went down 3rd street towards Indian School Road. There were many groups who had floats and marchers in the parade to show their support: churches, LGBTQ support organizations, traditional dancers, tribal groups, and more all came out to support the Native American community. It was great to see so many people out there to enjoy the show. Below I have a small gallery of participants in the parade for your viewing pleasure. I’m glad we were able to see it this year, as we missed it last year.
Does your city or community celebrate Indigenous People’s Day? Comment below and let me know!
Two Second Street 