NATIVE AMERICAN DAY

Today, in the United States, the second Monday of October is annually marked as Columbus Day in many parts of the country. But, in line with the true first inhabitants of this not-so-new world, not all states and regions recognize this holiday.

Columbus did indeed discover a new world previously unknown by European society, however America was anything but new. As you probably know, Native Americans occupied this land long before Columbus realized the world was round.

Instead, South Dakota’s official holiday on this date is Native American Day. According to The Progressive, Native American’s choose to celebrate Native American Day over Columbus Day as a celebration of survival from the Europeans. Much like other Native American tribes, the Lakota Sioux tribe, of Pine Ridge celebrate the ancient traditions, rich culture, and unique background of those who have come before them.

True Sioux Hope Foundation strives to not only raise awareness for the Native American population on this day, but every day of the year. Pine Ridge is the second largest reservation in the U.S., and the poorest in the entire country. True Sioux Hope Foundation is actively facilitating unprecedented, permanent, positive change for the Sioux Tribe in South Dakota by providing much-needed funding for education and infrastructure.

To help shine a light on the Native American population of Pine Ridge Reservation, True Sioux Hope Foundation launched #Sioux60, a social media campaign designed to raise awareness of the severe poverty on the reservation. With a median household income of $2,600 to $3,500 per year, the Lakota Sioux of Pine Ridge are living on a mere $60 per week. TSHF challenged users to share how they would manage to survive on only $60 a week.