Stormy Ogden came to the EMU Amphitheater on Monday to speak her mind — and there was a lot on her mind. As a native rights activist she was asked to speak not in honor of Columbus Day but in celebration of Indigenous Solidarity Day.
“I came here to piss white people off in a good way — to let them know that one day out of the year doesn’t make up for anything,” she said. “I came here to speak for native women imprisoned. I came here to hopefully speak for Indian people that don’t have this opportunity to get up and speak.”
She said America needs to do more to atone for the genocide of the American Indians at the hands of the colonists. Together with fellow speaker Chrystos, the women advocated for changing the name of Eugene to Calapooya in honor of the people who once inhabited the region.
“Next year, I would really appreciate it if this flag could be at half mast,” Chrystos said to the crowd. “Or upside down would be even better.”
She went on to read poems she’d written discussing everything from the wealthy white people she works for as a maid to the slaughter of indigenous people by Americans. Other events also took place throughout the day, including music and dancing.