Tomorrow, Americans will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States as an independent nation. We celebrate the US’s birthday and some of its many glorious accomplishments. We also choose to spend Independence Day honoring the peoples whose lands, labor, and sacrifices made this nation possible and to whom Independence Day remains a sober reminder of their exploitation and oppression.
President Trump is visiting our beautiful state today, July 3. People have reached out asking about our plans to protest. Our response is pretty straightforward: We choose to follow the lead of local Indigenous leaders. Nick Tilsen of the NDN Collective has said their organization is boycotting President Trump’s visit because “we don’t need to feed into his narrative.”
We stand with the NDN Collective. We stand with Indigenous peoples everywhere. We stand with migrant workers whose labor grows, harvests, and helps bring food to our tables. We stand with African American, Asian American, Latina/o, and Indigenous communities whose labor, creativity, and resilience helped build this nation and who continue to shape it today.
President Trump has devoted considerable time and attention to associating himself with the nation and its founding ideals. We have no interest in centering him or any one political figure in a celebration that belongs to all who call this place home.
Members of Indivisible Rapid City offer our gratitude to the people whose lands we occupy and to all those whose labor, creativity, and sacrifices have helped write the story of this nation.
