Monday Morning Quote
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Monday Morning Quotes
Monday Morning Quotes
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Since 1998 I've been sending out these reflections first thing each
week--one or more quotes plus my thoughts about the intersections and
contradictions. They're archived here back to 2002, and a new one is
posted every Monday morning. Dialogue is still welcome . . .
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Quote #1259 - #IndigenousPeoplesDay
12 Oct, 2026
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
"In every Indigenous community I’ve been in, they absolutely do want community infrastructure and they do want development, but they want it on their own terms. They want to be able to use their national resources and their assets in a way that protects and sustains them. Our territories are our wealth, the major assets we have. And Indigenous people use and steward this property so that they can achieve and maintain a livelihood, and achieve and maintain that same livelihood for future generations."
Rebecca Adamson
"We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We are people and we want to be respected, not to be victims of intolerance or racism."
Rigoberta Menchu
"All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We did not weave the web of life. We are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves."
Chief Seattle
For many years
when this day rolled around,
I discussed the complexities
of celebrating Columbus Day--
since the country that was 'found' by Columbus
(looking for someplace else)
and 'settled' by Pilgrims
destroyed more than one people
and was on the backs of more than one other.
Times have changed.
I don't feel quite so alone
(although the backlash is fierce and furious).
Still, it's been a relief to not have to fight so hard
for at least a large group of us to question
the old orthodoxy.
Now many of us honor Indigenous Peoples Day
rather than having anything to do with Columbus.
On this day,
as on many days these days,
we sit in the complexity that is our country.
We are not the only country that has conquered people,
colonized and enslaved people, and profited from
systemic racism, classism, and misogyny.
But we are the country which has most pretended otherwise.
And look at us now
and our country's attempt to return
to the most ancient, barbaric ways
of emperors and tyrants.
These are challenging times.
But we are not helpless.
We need to push back.
We need to use our voice and our vote.
We need to do better.
We are all woven together
in the fabric of the Earth
and over time
we will all thrive or fail
together.
Shellen Lubin
October 12, 2026
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