Chief Hicks: Indigenous Peoples Day Is a Time to Reclaim Truth and Sovereignty

By Staff, Cherokee 411

Published: October 13, 2025

CHEROKEE, N.C. — As communities across the nation marked Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 13, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Michell Hicks called on citizens to use the day to “reclaim the narrative” and honor the endurance and truth of Indigenous nations.

(Photo: WLOS staff)

“Today, we honor the first peoples of this land,” Hicks said in a statement shared on social media. “For the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, it is a reminder of endurance, truth, and the responsibility to protect our sovereignty and our story.”

Hicks said the history taught to many Americans often omits or distorts Indigenous realities.

“Our children were taught about ‘discovery,’ not about the civilizations that already thrived here,” he said. “They were taught myths, not the living reality of the Cherokee people — our government, our language, our sacred homelands, and our unbroken lineage.”

He emphasized that recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day must go beyond symbolic acknowledgment.

“Recognition should come with responsibility,” Hicks said. “Too often, we see the harm caused when groups attempt to rewrite history, to claim the culture, identity, and struggles of sovereign nations without carrying the responsibilities that come with them.”

Indigenous Peoples Day, observed each year on the second Monday in October, celebrates the history, culture, and resilience of Native nations across the Americas.