In many places across the U.S., October 12th is celebrated as Columbus Day, marking the “discovery” of the Americas in 1492.
However, rather than celebrating a history of violent colonization, today we choose to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We honor the resiliency, wisdom, strength, and spirit of the people who were tending these lands for millennia before Columbus ever stepped foot in them.
Indigenous communities are among the most marginalized in America — when European colonists first arrived, there were an estimated 10 million Native Americans; over the next three hundred years that number dropped below 300,000.
The story told of Native peoples in history books erases the trauma and persecution carried out upon their communities. Historical inequities and systemic oppression have built a world where Native peoples rank at or near the bottom of basic socio-economic indicators like access to education, poverty, domestic violence, and more.
When we first started producing Indigenous-inspired prints at Faherty, we didn’t realize that in order to truly celebrate the cultures from which they come, we needed to make a commitment to the people who inspired them. Now we know better, and we know that all need to do better, too: we need to listen, to educate ourselves, and to lend our support wherever it’s needed.
We’re proud to donate a percentage of sales from every Indigenous-inspired piece to Doug Good Feather and the Lakota Way Healing Center, which offers traditional spiritual practices to anyone in need of healing. We’re also excited to announce that moving forward, we’ll be focusing on a series of collaborations to ensure that all of our Indigenous-inspired styles will be by Indigenous designers.
And, for today only, 10% of all sales — online and in-store — will be donated to the incredible non-profit, IllumiNative.
Created and led by Native peoples, IllumiNative’s mission is to increase the visibility (and challenge the narrative) of Native Nations and peoples in American society. Founder Crystal Echohawk is a friend to Faherty — and, we’re thrilled to announce, one of our newest board members.
“By centering Indigenous perspectives, acknowledging the legacy of colonialism, and honoring the histories, cultures, contributions, and resilience of contemporary Native Peoples, the observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day has the power to shift perceptions of Native communities and people.” — IllumiNative
We’re committed to this work, and we’re excited for you to join us.
Share