RDA Consulting observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day annually in place of the Columbus Day Federal holiday. First observed in Berkeley, California in 1992, the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day has spread across the United States. Today, 17 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and numerous localities nationwide celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday of October. 

This holiday honors the histories of the many Indigenous nations that once occupied and cared for the land that makes up the present-day United States, and the resiliency and traditions of present-day Indigenous peoples.

As part of our observance, RDA employee-owners nominate a community-based organization and donate to support their work. This year, RDA is pleased to recognize Indigenous Justice (formerly Restoring Justice for Indigenous People or RJIP).  This organization is dedicated to addressing the disproportionate impact of the criminal and juvenile justice systems on Indigenous peoples throughout Northern California. Indigenous Justice operates multiple critical initiatives, including:

• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls (MMIW): Indigenous women are disproportionately victims of crime, experiencing higher rates of violence, sexual assault, and homicide compared to non-Indigenous women. This is a global issue, and it is especially true in California. Indigenous Justice provides support to women and families, healing circles, and survivor-centered spaces.
• Media Protocol: Understanding that issues facing Indigenous people are both underrepresented and misunderstood in news and other media, Indigenous Justice holds trainings for media to improve cultural competency and works to empower communities to navigate the media and tell their own stories.
• Native Youth: Indigenous Justice works to support youth by helping to address the disproportionate school suspensions and juvenile detentions among Indigenous youth, creating pathways for healing from these experiences.

As an employee-owned, majority-woman-managed California Social Purpose Corporation (SPC), RDA works to help public and community-based organizations meet the needs of the communities they work in. This work, at the strategic intersection of applied research and implementation, is grounded in RDA staff’s commitment to equity, access, and opportunity.

Please join us as we celebrate this year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday by supporting Indigenous Justice.