Dozens braved the rain Monday to honor Native history, heritage and identity during Philadelphia’s 9th annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration.
Held each year on Columbus Day, the event reframes the holiday with a focus on indigenous voices.
“I was raised in the culture, so I know who I am,” Vaughnda Hilton, CEO of Native Nations Dance Theater, said. “I’ve always known and always embraced it.”
Hilton, who is Seminole and Creek, was among many performers who took the stage at Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown to share traditional music and dance. For her, each beat of the drum is a declaration of presence.
“The songs mean a lot to us and it goes along with us because we’re able to keep our culture alive that way,” Hilton said.
The celebration featured Indigenous instruments, such as the Mayan trumpet and traditional flute, as well as food like fry bread and other cultural staples. Seminole dancers led community members of all ages and backgrounds in a circle dance, inviting everyone to join hands as a symbol of unity.
Penn Treaty Park — also known as Shackamaxon — is a sacred site for the Lenape people. It’s where, according to legend, Pennsylvania founder William Penn signed a treaty of peace with the Lenape tribe in 1683.
For many Native attendees, the location added deep spiritual and historical meaning.
At a time when Indigenous communities continue to fight for recognition, land rights and cultural preservation, Monday’s gathering was both a celebration and a statement.
“It’s very important for us to continue to have these events because it brings about awareness that we are still here,” Hilton said, “and we are the original actual people of the land.”