Indigenous Peoples' Day is more than just a switch from celebrating Columbus—it’s a long-overdue recognition of Native American history, culture, and contributions. This day has an even deeper layer of meaning for African Americans because if you dig into history, you’ll find plenty of moments where Black and Native American stories overlap in surprising and meaningful ways. From shared struggles to cultural exchanges, these two communities have been intertwined for centuries, and it's time to give those connections the spotlight they deserve.

What is clear is that the relationship between African Americans and Native Americans is a long, complicated one. During the colonial era, the two groups shared only a few things: a common history of violent colonization, displacement, and enslavement. One of the first people to be enslaved in America was Native Americans, and as African slavery increased and became more systematized, Native Americans were not exempt. Many Native American tribes, in particular those living in the southeast, adopted the habit of enslaving Africans that the Europeans introduced.

Perhaps the most notable example of overlap between the two groups came with the Trail of Tears, when the US government forced various Native American peoples to leave their lands in the 1830s. Many enslaved African Americans went with them. There, too, however, there were moments of solidarity. In Florida, the Seminole and escaping enslaved Africans formed alliances; the ‘Black Seminoles’ were critical to Native resistance against US forces.

Above and beyond the tragedies, there were often vibrant cultural exchanges between African Americans and Native Americans, many of them that helped to define who they were for the better. This is the case with food, for example, in which Native staples like corn, beans and squash were combined with African cooking traditions, giving us what we now call soul food.

In music, too, there was a significant crossover between these cultures. As the historian Peter Wood points out, both Africans and native peoples had complex relationships with music – whether it was through the spirituals or the use of drum beats to transmit history and stories. Their combined musical voices gave birth to further genres such as jazz and blues, helping to forge ‘something distinctly American’.

A good number of African Americans today also have Native American heritage from hundreds of years of intermarriage and development of shared communities with Indians. This Indian blood, to the extent it is known, is being embraced today, and there is a growing awareness of Native American ancestry among prominent African Americans such as Jimi Hendrix and Frederick Douglass, and even W E B Du Bois.

African American and Native American peoples have shared a history of profound systemic oppression alongside a long untold history of resistance, rebellion and struggle for survival, justice and self-determination. They’ve been colonized, enslaved, dispossessed, divided, and discriminated against under similar and overlapping laws and forms of governance.

Consider the Civil Rights Movement as an example. Nativeness was not a requirement for leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. Native American activists could have been influenced by Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and other leaders, and Native leaders fought alongside the African American community. The fight for civil rights was fluid, and the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement (AIM) were allies. Both movements sought justice and empowerment within their communities.

This solidarity of shared experience has only strengthened in more recent years. Native activists have supported the Black Lives Matter movement, while African American activists have flocked to Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. The fact that marginalised communities speak in concert when they have the capacity to do so illustrates the fact that they have become a far more powerful force.

Indigenous Peoples' Day is not just for Native Americans—it’s also a chance for African Americans to reflect on their shared history with Indigenous people. Today, both communities still face disproportionate challenges like poverty, healthcare disparities, and mass incarceration. By recognizing these intersections, we can push for solutions that lift everyone up.

There’s also been a renewed interest in uncovering these connections through genealogy, storytelling, and community projects. People are diving deeper into their family histories to find those hidden links between Black and Native identities, sparking a new sense of pride and solidarity. This isn’t just about looking back, though—it’s about how both groups can continue to support each other as they move forward in the fight for justice.