Native dancers celebrate heritage at Milwaukee Public Museum for Indigenous Peoples' Day

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Monday, Oct. 9 is Indigenous Peoples' Day, meant to bring attention to the country's native population.

The day is observed across the state of Wisconsin, which has 11 federally recognized tribes.

Milwaukee Public Museum was one of many places with special programming Monday, including exhibits, speakers, and performances, honoring both Aztec and Native American history.

"It's just a good day for a celebration, for a meal, for a song, for a dance," said Kelly Logan, a member of Ho-Chunk Nation. "We're here, we're alive, our culture's alive, and we're really proud to be out here."

Throughout the day, the public museum featured shows from the Little Priest Singers, a drum group, along with traditional dances.

"Pretty much my whole life I've been in my culture, and I've been singing and dancing," said Brian Bowman.

Bowman, who is 17 years old, is part of Milwaukee's Stockbridge-Munsee community.

He uses traditional performance for public education.

"A lot of times in schoolbooks and schools you're taught that Native Americans are long gone," Bowman said. "What I get to do is go out and tell people that we're still here, and our culture is still very well thriving."

Through Indian Community School, Bowman and his classmates petitioned Milwaukee c=County to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2016, and three years later, the state of Wisconsin.

"All the hard work is being shown, and it's reflected now. It makes me happy, and I know it makes everyone in the whole native community in Wisconsin happy," Bowman said.

The annual celebration is meant to help reverse the erasure of heritage and recognize Wisconsin's first residents.

"It's just an honor to teach our culture, to keep it alive, mainly," Logan said.