Letters to Legislators
Primary Citizen Action of the IPD Initiative
TPP believes the most efficient and effective way to inspire a national reorientation of the holiday on the second Monday in October to Indigenous Peoples’ Day is for the citizens of America who agree, of all ages, to request this change with a signed letter mailed to their elected representatives in the US Congress, their state and their locality. Towards that end the primary citizen action of the IPD Initiative is called Letters to Legislators – promoted by the hashtags #LettersToLegislators and #IPD101424 – which involves individual citizens and families across America mailing six (6) letters through the US Postal Service to their elected legislators listed below, hopefully using the beautiful Chief Standing Bear stamp introduced by USPS in May 2023.
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3 Members of US Congress = 2 US Senators and 1 US Representative
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2 State Legislative Representatives (traditionally House and Senate)
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1 Local Legislative Representative (Councilor, Supervisor, Alderman, Manager etc.)
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Letters can offer the same simple message to each of the legislators:
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Dear [name of elected official],
As a citizen of your jurisdiction I ask you to please support legislation presented to you reorienting the holiday on the second Monday in October to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I believe it is the right thing to do and now is the right time to do it.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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TPP has created an IPD letter template to make this as simple as possible. For easier identification in the various government mailrooms, letter writers are asked to please print "IPD” at the top of the return address section of the envelope, followed by sender name and address. We further suggest letter writers use this request as an opportunity to personalize their outreach by artistically presenting “IPD” on the envelope and putting return address information on the back. Here in Richmond, VA we have printed envelopes with a big IPD logo designed to allow for the letter writer's creative spirit to shine through to the legislator and their staff.
The Pocahontas Project sees this effort as a Democracy 101 class demonstrating the importance of citizens telling their elected representatives what they think – just like voting. Letter writers will find the entire process involves less than an hour, a splash of imagination and purpose, as well as a $5 investment = (6) $0.68 Chief Standing Bear stamps, (6) pieces of paper and (6) envelopes. Before mailing them, letter writers are asked to please take a picture of their letters and share the pic with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.-- using #LetterstoLegislators and #IDP101424--and encourage them to do likewise, creating a domino effect across the country.
This Letters to Legislators effort is democracy in action. Everyone who supports the IPD Initiative by sending letters to their legislators should feel proud they have participated in a core component of our American democratic process. And when we all celebrate Monday October 14, 2024 as Indigenous Peoples' Day across the USA, letter writers should feel like an agent of positive change for our country, because they are.