10/12/2026
BEFORE COLUMBUS, THERE WERE CIVILIZATIONS.
Long before 1492, the Americas were home to millions of Indigenous people with thriving civilizations, rich cultures, established governments, languages, traditions, and remarkable innovations.
And today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we’re taking a little history lesson!
The Taíno, among the original inhabitants of the Caribbean, cultivated the land, navigated the seas, and left a cultural legacy that continues today.
The Mexica (Aztecs) built extraordinary cities, including Tenochtitlan, with sophisticated agriculture, marketplaces, and engineering.
The Maya developed advanced mathematics, astronomy, writing systems, and calendars.
The Inca constructed remarkable roads, bridges, and agricultural terraces across the Andes Mountains.
The Wampanoag, the People of the First Light, have called the Cape Cod region and surrounding lands home for thousands of years. Their history, culture, and communities remain an important part of our region today.
These are just a few of the many Indigenous civilizations and nations whose stories deserve to be told.
Here’s something worth remembering: America was not an empty land waiting to be discovered. Its peoples had histories, identities, and civilizations long before European arrival.
Colonization brought devastating losses, displacement, and injustice, but Indigenous peoples survived, resisted, and continue to preserve and celebrate their cultures.
Today is an opportunity to learn, reflect, recognize their contributions, and honor the Indigenous communities who are still here.
History didn’t begin in 1492. And Indigenous history didn’t end there.
Swipe through our carousel for a little history lesson!
Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
