Indigenous Peoples Day as Performative, Disability and Indigenous Justice Intersections

American Indian Airwaves

Part 1: United States President Biden recently, simultaneously, and problematically signed to the Indigenous Peoples Day and Columbus Day Proclamations. While Columbus Day is also a form of state-sponsored hate speech, acknowledging Indigenous peoples in the same breath is questionably troublesome. Has the settler colonial attention and support of Indigenous Peoples Day resulted in more performative gestures in the politics of inclusion? Meanwhile, Indigenous communities and nations remained highly under resourced. Approximately, one out every four Native Americans are considered “disabled,” according to the United States Census Bureau. Within the context of Indigenous justice movements, how does disability justice intersect with Indigenous and environmental justice work? Guest: • Jen Deerinwater (is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, bisexual, Two Spirit, multiply-disabled journalist, speaker and organizer who covers the issues hir communities face with an intersectional lens. She’s a contributor at Truthout and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism. Jen is the co-editor of Sacred and Subversive and hir work is included in the anthologies Disability Visibility and Two-Spirits Belong Here. American Indian Airwaves regularly broadcast Thursdays from 7pm to 8pm (PCT) on KPFK FM 90.7 in Los Angeles, CA; FM 98.7 in Santa Barbara, CA; FM 99.5 in China Lake, CA; FM 93.7 in North San Diego, CA; FM 99.1 KLBP in Long Beach, CA (Tuesdays, 11am-12pm); and WCRS FM 98.3/102.1 in Columbus, OH. Click here for archived American Indian Airwaves programs on the KPFK website within the past 60-days only or click on (below) after 8pm for today’s scheduled program. Soundcloud Apple Podcast Google Podcast iHeartRadio Pocket Casts Spotify Podcast Stitcher Podcast Tunein Podcast