GREAT FALLS — Great Falls is marking Indigenous Peoples' Day with a two-day celebration — and the volunteers behind it say the goal is bigger than one community.
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This is the second year Montana has recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day as a state holiday, a fact Alisa Herodes of Indigenous Peoples' Great Falls says is still sinking in for many residents.
"Hence, that's why a lot of businesses are closed today," Herodes said. "Like I tried to go to my bank and it was closed."
The celebration began Sunday with Soup and Story at the Great Falls library, where three indigenous storytellers shared tales alongside two traditional soups for the community to try. The two-day format is new — this is only the group's second year organizing multi-day events.
The festivities continue at the Little Shell Ceremonial Center on Stuckey Road, starting at 3:30 p.m. The afternoon opens with a children's movie and free popcorn, soda and water, followed by a youth fashion show featuring ribbon shirts and skirts that students made through Indian Education programs.
State Sen. Shane Morigeau is scheduled to speak about the decade-long effort that ultimately led to Indigenous Peoples' Day becoming a recognized holiday in 2025. The evening closes with a screening of the story of the 1904 Fort Shaw girls basketball team, with Mike Gerry from the Office of Public Instruction discussing the history of assimilation in native families.
For Herodes, the heart of the event is what it offers to everyone — not just indigenous community members.
"One thing I wanted Indigenous Peoples Day to be is not just native-centric, but more for community outreach and sharing indigenous culture and indigenous stories," she said.
All events are free and open to the public.
