Indigenous Peoples' Day 2026

Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center is hosting its Indigenous Peoples' Day celebration on Monday, October 12, from 4 PM to 7 PM. It's an evening of Indigenous creativity, resilience and connection, with food, artists, vendors, cultural performances and a community gathering. KEXP will also be broadcasting live from the center.

If you're new to the day, there's some history to it. Indigenous Peoples' Day arrived in Seattle through years of organizing: between 2009 and 2014, Indigenous organizers led marches and protests on Columbus Day in the city center, and in 2014 a team of Native activists and allies persuaded Seattle to recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day. United Indians hosted the city's first celebration that same year.

The United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, which runs the day, frames it as a celebration of Indigenous cultures, communities and the future, and as a way to connect with living Indigenous communities rather than only historical exhibits. They also point out that Indigenous Peoples are not a single cultural group but many distinct Tribal Nations, each with its own history, language and contemporary identity. It's worth keeping in mind that the day isn't a U.S. federal holiday, so recognition varies by state and locality.

Logistically, the event runs from 4 PM to 7 PM at Daybreak Star, and a free shuttle runs from the bus stop between 4 PM and 7:30 PM.