People from the Brainerd area came together on Monday to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The ceremony at Brainerd High School’s Gichi-Ziibi Center featured music, artifacts, and words from Mille Lacs Chief Executive Virgil Wind. The theme of the night was “Why Treaties Matter,” and attendees were treated to a Q&A on the topic from George Goggleye, Cultural Resource Manager with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.

Event organizers saw the ceremony as a great way to spread Indigenous culture to a wider audience.

“Within our community, a lot of cultures are represented, and unfortunately our Indigenous cultures are not quite as represented,” said Shayla Budrow, Brainerd Public Schools Indigenous Education Coordinator. “That’s why it’s important for, one, that my program but also Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to give people the opportunity to really see themselves within their community and within their school system, too.”

Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first recognized federally by President Biden in 2021.