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Today, on Indigenous Peoples' Day, we recognize the Native peoples whose stewardship of this land and contributions to our shared history continue to shape our nation. While 2026 has been filled with celebrations of America's 250th anniversary, remember that the American story did not begin in 1776

Colonial leaders, including Benjamin Franklin, observed and learned from the Haudenosaunee. In 1744, an Onondaga leader named Canassatego encouraged the colonies to unite, demonstrating that while a single arrow can be broken easily, a bundle of arrows bound together is strong.

The eagle on the Great Seal of the United States still holds a bundle of 13 arrows, a lasting symbol of that idea: that people can come together in common purpose without losing their individual identities.

Of course, Indigenous history is also a story of profound loss and injustice. European settlement brought displacement, broken treaties, forced removal, and brutal efforts to erase Indigenous cultures, spiritual practices, political authority, and ways of life.