09/08/2025
Today, the world gives a name to this moment — The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. They mark it on their calendars. But for us, this day is not counted by pages or numbers. It is counted by heartbeats — the same heartbeats that began in our ancestors and still move through our own chests today.
From the four directions they rise — our peoples. From the white-blanketed lands of the north to the warm islands embraced by the southern seas, the children of the earth stand together. We are the keepers of the first fires, the singers of the ancient songs, the storytellers whose words are older than the oldest stone. We have walked through storms so fierce they tried to strip us bare — and still, here we stand.
We do not gather in the shadow of loss. We gather in the light of what still breathes. The languages of our grandmothers now find their way back into the voices of our children. The drum once again shakes the ground beneath our feet. Our ceremonies rise like smoke, high enough to make the eagles pause mid-flight to listen.
This day does not belong to us alone — it is a reminder to the world: we are not echoes of the past. We are the roots that hold the land together. We are the rivers that carry life. We are the wind that whispers teachings into the ears of those yet to come.
So stand tall, my relatives. Let your songs fill the air. Wear the clothes that speak your history. Speak the words that carry your spirit. Walk upon the land as one whose ancestors still walk beside them.
We are still here. And as long as the sun rises and the rivers flow, we will remain.
êkosi.
—Kanipawit Maskwa
John Gonzalez
Standing Bear Network
