BLACKSBURG, Va. – To honor the tribal lands Virginia Tech sits on, the university hosts a celebration to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The gathering on the drill field kicked off with a sage prayer and a drum circle performance.
Monacan Nation Chief Kenneth Branham and Cheyenne member, Dr. Henrietta Mann, spoke about the history of their ancestors.
Both say this day carries more significance as President Joe Biden is the first president to officially proclaim Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“It was our ancestors who gave their life and their blood so that we could continue to maintain their ways, our ways, as this lands first peoples,” Mann said.
To wrap up the celebration, the Moss Arts Center will host a performance recounting the tales of the Trail of Tears.