Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal

Several hundred people converged on Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul Monday to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 

Attendees were treated to music, dance, food, and a fashion show at the event organized by St. Paul Indian Education, a program from St. Paul Public Schools that aims to preserve Indigenous culture.

Brook LaFloe was one of several vendors at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island Regional Park on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal

Vendors were on hand selling clothing, beadwork, and other items. Organizations such as the Department of Indian Work and Hennepin County offered information about their services.

One highlight of the event included a fashion show, where participants showed off the fruits of their sewing skills. Another was the “potato dance,” which involved pairs of dancers working together to hold a potato between their foreheads for the duration of a song. Two pairs completed the task without dropping the vegetable.

Whether attendees were connecting with their cultural heritage or enjoying the music, dancing, and delicious Native tacos, many said the event brought people together in a shared sense of community.

Several dancers perform a Boot and Hat Dance, a tradition that hails from horse country, at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
A drum circle performs at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023, as attendees dance. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
A young woman performs a shawl dance accompanied by a drum circle and a woman playing guitar at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
Contestants in the Potato Dance had to coordinate keeping the tuber between their foreheads while also keeping a rhythm during an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
A large queue of people line up for one of several food trucks at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day event on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
Participants show off their handiwork during a fashion show at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
A fashion show participant shows off her handiwork during an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Harriet Island on October 9, 2023. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal

Aaron Nesheim is a freelance photojournalist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he primary focuses is on documenting social justice, the environment,...