There’s a subcommittee in Congress covering management of Native lands, the relationship between the federal government and Native tribes, Native sovereignty, and other matters relating to Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Native Alaskans.

This used to be called the Subcommittee for Indian and Insular Affairs. Since “Indian” is a colonizer word and “insular” means uncivilized, ignorant, and narrow-minded, Natives advocated for a name change.

Long-time ally Rep. Raúl Grijalva played an important role in updating the name to the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States. This reflects what Native people want to be called and more accurately describes Natives’ relationship to this land.

However, MAGA Republicans in Congress have changed the name back to the Subcommittee for Indian and Insular Affairs.

This is a shameful act, an insult to Native communities that attempts to diminish our inherent and legal standing as nations -- as if Indigenous communities are not a part of the U.S. They need to call us by what we want to be called, not the terms that colonizers used.

We plan to deliver petition signatures to Rep. Raúl Grijalva to have his back in changing the name of this important subcommittee back to “Indigenous Peoples of the United States.”

Add your name today!