Indigenous Peoples' Day Trivia Questions to Test Your Knowledge

Indigenous Peoples' Day is a local and national holiday acknowledged across the United States as a counter-celebration to the U.S. federal holiday, Columbus Day.

It is celebrated on the second Monday in October.

In 2021, Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to formally commemorate the holiday with a presidential proclamation.

In honor of the holiday, here is some trivia you can test yourself (or others) to see how well you know facts about the Indigenous populations in the Americas.

Which U.S. state was the first to officially replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1990?

Answer: South Dakota

The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, inspired parts of which important U.S. document?

Answer: The U.S. Constitution

The Navajo language was famously used during which war as a code that was never broken?

Answer: World War II

What is the name of the Inuit traditional winter dwelling made of snow blocks?

Answer: Igloo

Which Indigenous leader famously said, “I will fight no more forever”?

Answer: Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce

True or False: Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on the same day as Columbus Day in many U.S. states.

Answer: True

True or False: All Indigenous tribes in North America lived in teepees.

Answer: False (only some Plains tribes used them)

True or False: The Cherokee people developed their own written alphabet in the 19th century.

Answer: True (created by Sequoyah)

True or False: Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a federal holiday in the United States.

Answer: False (it’s recognized by many states and cities, but not federally—yet)

I speak without a mouth, I am carried by wind, and my beats tell stories of the past. What am I?

Answer: A drum

I am planted in the ground, sacred to many, and I feed nations with my golden kernels. What am I?

Answer: Corn (maize)

I mark the seasons, I guide the hunter, and my stories are written in the night sky. What am I?

Answer: The stars

Which Indigenous group built Machu Picchu?

A) Maya

B) Inca

C) Aztec

Answer: B) Inca

Which Indigenous leader helped the Pilgrims in 1621 and was vital to their survival?

A) Tecumseh

B) Sequoyah

C) Squanto

D) Sitting Bull

Answer: C) Squanto

Which Indigenous innovation influenced U.S. government structure?

A) Totem poles

B) Longhouses

C) The Iroquois Confederacy

D) Dreamcatchers

Answer: C) The Iroquois Confederacy

Which Indigenous people are known for their totem poles?

A) Inuit

B) Haida

C) Cherokee

D) Hopi

Answer: B) Haida

Which of these foods was NOT originally cultivated by Indigenous peoples of the Americas?

A) Corn

B) Potatoes

C) Coffee

D) Chocolate

Answer: C) Coffee (originated in Africa)

Sequoyah, a Cherokee scholar, is known for what achievement?

A) Leading warriors into battle

B) Creating a written alphabet for Cherokee

C) Building cliff dwellings

D) Writing the first Cherokee-English dictionary

Answer: B) Creating a written alphabet for Cherokee

The Pueblo peoples are known for building multi-storied homes out of _______.

Answer: Adobe