Honoring Roots and Resilience: What Indigenous Peoples’ Day Teaches Us

Indigenous Peoples’ Day asks us to pause and honor the First Peoples of this land — their sovereignty, culture, and ongoing contributions. It invites truth-telling too: the land was never “discovered,” it was already home. In the same spirit of honoring origins and community, our recent episode with Seattle Community Police Commissioner Ken Nsimbi explores how heritage shapes leadership and belonging.

Ken’s journey from Nairobi to Seattle embodies the rhythm of Ubuntu — “I am because we are” — a value he embodies daily through service, music, and community organizing.

“Our house was the house that folks went to for refuge… I carry that with me everywhere — community is the way to go.”

— Ken Nsimbi, The Giovanne Show

On this day, we acknowledge that Indigenous communities have always taught the power of relationship to land and people. Ken’s words echo that wisdom — that belonging is built through care, accountability, and solidarity across cultures.

“The United States of America cannot live or breathe or function without immigrants… Every single person in the U.S., apart from our beloved Native brothers and sisters, are immigrants. This land was already spoken for and taken.”

— Ken Nsimbi, The Giovanne Show

Ken’s community work — furnishing homes for arriving families, organizing resources through local churches, and serving in public oversight — springs from that shared-responsibility ethic. It’s the same compass that points many Indigenous movements toward collective care and sovereignty.

“Love your neighbor as yourself… If you love individuals as yourself, you will move differently.” — Ken Nsimbi, The Giovanne Show

How We Honor Today

• Learn the land. Acknowledge the Indigenous nations whose lands you live on. Support their cultural and political leadership.

• Listen to community voice. As Ken notes, change begins by centering those most affected and resourcing solutions.

• Practice Ubuntu. Make care a daily action: volunteer, donate, mentor, and show up for your neighbors.

• Amplify art and culture. Music, fashion, and storytelling carry identity — and build bridges.

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let’s remember: the land carries history; the people beside us carry stories; and our shared humanity carries hope. Together, we honor the past, uplift the present, and shape a future rooted in respect, equity, and community.

Produced by The Giovanne Show — where real voices meet real solutions.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Ubuntu Community Leadership, Immigrant Stories, Seattle