October 10th is Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Did you know that KCRep resides on the traditional land and the ancestral homes of the Osage, Kaw, Otoe-Missouria, Shawnee, and Wyandot tribes?
We feel it is important to recognize the history of the land where our theatres reside and share the stories of these communities. As part of these efforts, we are excited to be commissioning Mary Kathryn Nagle as our first American Crossroads Residency playwright resident. She is an enrolled member of the Cherokee nation, and is a playwright and attorney whose work focuses on the restoration of tribal sovereignty and the inherent right of Indian nations to protect their women and children from domestic violence and sexual assault. During her time in residency at KCRep, she will be working to create an OriginKC: World Premiere play centered around Indigenous experiences in Kansas City. Of the Residency, she said: “having grown up in the Kansas City area, I am thrilled to return home and work with KCRep to tell a Kansas City story about the Indigenous peoples and Native Nations who have shaped Kansas City into the community that Kansas City is today.”
Here are some ways you can get involved on Indigenous People’s Day:
Local Resources
- Support the Kansas City Indian Center
- Sign the #ChangetheName petition, and attend the “Indigenous Peoples’ Day Solidarity” action, via Not in Our Honor
- Via KCUR, “Otoe-Missouria tribe finally welcomed back to their homeland, 200 years after being forced out”
- Visit the Shawnee Indian Mission State Historical Site
- Learn about the Wyandotte Nation
- Learn about the Haskell Foundation
National Resources
- Learn about the Land Back Movement
- Follow Indian Country Today for news, history, and culture
- Illuminative.org is Indigenous/women run organization working to build power for Native people
- Read the Navajo Nation’s official statement in support of Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- Via the New York Times, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Explained”
- Unlearn Columbus Day myth