In many ways, Invisible No More: Voices from Native America started on Indigenous Peoples' Day. In 2019, when I was at First Nations Development Institute, we launched our first article series highlighting the voices of Native community leaders with Steve Dubb and the team at Nonprofit Quarterly.
In the kickoff article, I noted then, for those who don’t know, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, formerly called Columbus Day, is the celebration of Indigenous survival in the face of a genocidal invasion that began in 1492 when an Italian sailor, Christopher Columbus, stumbled upon the Caribbean islands. His arrival set in motion the extermination of Indigenous peoples across the Americas, including the Taíno Indians he originally contacted in the Caribbean, and a history of slavery, sexual violence, and more. Although Columbus never stepped foot in North America, his presence in history has created a national narrative that has glorified him and a brutal process of American development that at the same time worked to exterminate and diminish Native people, their sovereignty, land and culture.
In 2021, the federal government officially proclaimed the second Monday of October to be Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Beyond calls to rename the day, there has been a call to learn about and acknowledge the horrific atrocities committed against Native Americans by settler Americans and their governments, and more importantly, take reparative action that advances Native sovereignty, linguistic, cultural and land rights.
With this context in mind, Invisible No More: Voices from Native America articulates Native action, visions, and aspirations that are taking place in Native communities all aimed at challenging the romanticized and false views of Columbus and his colonial legacy. This book highlights the voices of Native people who are doing the hard work necessary to advance Native sovereignty, linguistic, cultural and land rights. Invisible No More highlights the resilience of Native people and their fight to maintain their distinct identities, protect land and the environment and advance their sovereign rights.
We invite you to learn more from Native people, their important work and vision.
Download the Forword and Introduction of Invisible No More here or read it below. Now through Friday, October 13 you can use preorder code VISIBLE for 25% off the cover price on islandpress.org
