Los Angeles City Hall celebrated the first Indigenous People’s Day in the City of Los Angeles, on October 8th. The United American Indian Involvement (UAII) and LA City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell DTLA welcomed almost 400 participants in The Run for the People race and around 5,000 attendees to the all-day event at City Hall/Grand Park.

Indigenous Peoples Day commenced with a traditional ceremony honoring the Tongva, the original inhabitants of the area, and featured invited guests such as the Chief of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma, Billy Friend.

Following the ceremony, an honoring song and blessing recognizing the over 200 different tribes/ nations who call Los Angeles home led into The Run for the People.

The Run for the People is a 5k run and walk is meant to promote community engagement and health awareness. The all-day event invited all people in the Los Angeles area to join in the various activities, workshops, and cultural sharing that took place throughout the day.

To end the day, there were special music performances by Redbone, a Native American rock group, and the famous multi-platinum music group, The Black Eye Peas.

On Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples all around the world have been celebrating this day as Indigenous People’s Day, thus changing the narrative of America’s first peoples and bringing attention and change to the social issues on Indigenous peoples.

“American Indians will find community at UAII, and they will also find a place filled with hope.” – Jerimy Billy, Chief Executive Officer

UAII was established as a nonprofit 501(c)3 by Marian Zucco and Baba Cooper in 1974 to provide shelter, food and a welcoming place for American Indians living on the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. and has grown to become the largest one-stop provider of human services for American Indian/ Alaskan Native families and youth living in Los Angeles County. Currently, they provide services to members from over 200 different tribes.

For more information: www.facebook.com/UAII.Inc.