The voice and drum of Larry Spotted Crow Mann rang clear as the sun came up in Hopkington, MA on October 11, 2021—Indigenous Peoples’ Day. A member of the Nipmuc Nation, the local elder was invited by the Boston Athletic Association to offer words before the start of their prized Marathon, being run in the fall for the first, and likely only, time in history. His song was offered as a prayer for the safety of runners, spectators, and race officials traversing lands that he and his ancestors have called home for time immemorial. Patti Dillon, the first American (and Native American) woman to break 2:30 in the marathon and three-time Boston runner-up, fired the starter’s pistol for the elite field a few hours later.
Though dozens of media outlets highlighted the culture, history, and color added to race festivities by Indigenous runners, artists and activists eager to represent on their holiday, the subtitle of one New York Times’ story lamented a collective loss of innocence and pined for the return of the traditional spring “Patriot’s Day.” “The focus on Indigenous peoples,” stated the Times, “added an unusual, somber note to marathon weekend, in the heart of a region that has long unreservedly celebrated its…
