Indigenous Peoples Day: Acknowledging our past and ensuring a just future

This year, as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, it is important that all of us remember and honor the rich history, culture and resilience that Native Americans have shown across the United States. Today is not just a day for celebration, however, it is also a reminder of the collective responsibility we have to rectify the injustices of the past and build towards a more equitable future.

For the Cherokee Nation’s people, the Trail of Tears stands among the darkest chapters in American history, a harrowing journey that saw the forced removal of Cherokee Nation citizens from their ancestral lands — 4,000 Cherokee men, women, and children died as they were made to march from the southeast United States to what is now the state of Oklahoma.

This horrific moment serves as a vivid reminder of the injustices and suffering endured by indigenous peoples at the hands of the U.S. government. And while we are powerless to change the past, we can nevertheless work towards molding a better present and future, not just for indigenous peoples, but for all Americans.

The responsibility to right historical wrongs lies squarely with the U.S. government. The Trail of Tears happened because the United States entered into the Treaty of New Echota with the Cherokee Nation. The United States and the Cherokee Nation were the only two parties to this agreement. In exchange for opening the southeast to white settlers, the Treaty of New Echota required the U.S. government to provide the Cherokee Nation with a delegate seat in the U.S. House.

Yet, in all the years that followed, the United States has never made good on this promise. Today, the U.S. House is in chaos, following the unprecedented removal of a sitting Speaker. It may take some time to repair the damage that has been done to the institution and begin once again to do the people’s business. One of the few areas where Republicans and Democrats can — and should — find common ground, is in seating the Cherokee Nation’s delegate.

This is not just a symbolic way for the House to show it can function — it is an obligation for the House to show that it can live up to the treaty commitments the United States has made and also an acknowledgment of the unique status and rights of indigenous peoples that must be respected at the highest levels of government.

So too does the United States have a responsibility to finally address the socio-economic disparities that persist in indigenous communities today. Access to quality health care, education and economic opportunity are not a privilege for some Americans — they must be recognized as a right for all citizens, including Native Americans. While we have made progress over the years, we need to do more to invest in the success of tribal communities and ensure that they have the resources they need not just to get by, but to actually get ahead.

Attention also must be paid to ensuring the protection of tribal lands and natural resources. Indigenous peoples were stewards of the land centuries before the founding of the United States, and our collective wisdom must be respected and incorporated into environmental policies. Tribal leaders and communities must have a seat at the table when policy conversations take place regarding land use, conservation and sustainable development.

Indigenous Peoples Day is not just a day off from work, it must be a call to action. It is a day to reflect on the injustices of the past, celebrate the enduring vibrancy of indigenous cultures, and commit to ensuring a just future. The U.S. government must uphold the commitments it has made, and the responsibilities it holds, to indigenous peoples — including the promise to seat a delegate from the Cherokee Nation in the U.S. House — recognizing our sovereignty and working collaboratively to address historical and ongoing challenges.

As the Cherokee Nation’s delegate to Congress, I am proud to stand with indigenous peoples across the nation today in working towards a future where the echoes of the Trail of Tears are replaced by the sound of progress, reconciliation and unity.

This Indigenous Peoples Day, let us renew our commitment to righting historical wrongs and building a brighter future for all Americans.

Kim Teehee is the Cherokee Nation’s delegate to Congress.