honoring indigenous peoples' day
What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
This year, Quince's home state of Maine joined Alaska, Minnesota, Oregon, and a growing number of other states to replace the name of the October holiday, formerly known as Columbus Day, to Indigenous Peoples' Day. This day honors the native people of the Americas and gives us a chance to reflect on their deep history and culture, and the history of these lands where we live.
Why it's important
Quince & Co. believes that the protection of the earth goes hand in hand with the support of indigenous communities.
Many of us have recently become aware of the unprecedented fires currently burning in the Amazon rainforests. Though not directly in our backyard, rainforests are a vital part of our world, housing some of the most diverse plant and animal species. They are also home to indigenous communities whose histories and cultures are deeply interconnected with the ecosystem.
These indigenous peoples have seen rampant deforestation and development shrink and pollute the rainforests in which they live, and have historically been ignored by the powerful interests causing this devastation.
How We're Participating
This year we chose to honor this day by donating 10% of sales to The Amazon Conservation Team, a highly regarded organization that is working to protect the forests and watersheds of the tropical regions in South America in partnership with the indigenous people that live there. In their own words:
The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) was founded in 1996 by the world-renowned ethnobotanist Dr. Mark J. Plotkin and noted Costa Rican conservationist Liliana Madrigal. Observing the lack of attention paid to indigenous rainforests, comprising over 25% of the Amazon basin, Dr. Plotkin and Ms. Madrigal created an organization based on a unique strategy: biocultural conservation, which rests on the conviction that the people who best know, use, and protect biodiversity are the indigenous people who live in tropical forests. By partnering with indigenous tribes to map, manage, and protect the most isolated rainforest regions, ACT protects the biodiversity, culture, and health of the Amazon's ecosystem-the flora, the fauna, and the people.
We invite you to join us in honoring indigenous communities, and the ecosystems in which they live today on Indigenous Peoples' Day.
To The Amazon Conservation Team, thank you for all that you do.
