06/15/2026
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The FIFA World Cup has begun across Turtle Island.
In Mexico City, the tournament opened with Indigenous language, dress, and pre-Hispanic cultural performance. Grammy-winning artist Lila Downs welcomed fans and players in Spanish, English, and Mixtec.
In Toronto, Canada's opening ceremony began with Traditional Indigenous dancers representing the nearly two million Indigenous people in Canada. Award-winning singer-songwriter William Prince of Peguis First Nation welcomed the world, saying:
"From this land, where the water meets the mountains, where voices have gathered for generations. We are still here. We carry the songs. We carry the stories. We carry the heartbeat."
Hours later, the United States opened its ceremony in Los Angeles ahead of USA vs. Paraguay. While Mexico and Canada featured prominent Indigenous cultural presentations, the U.S. ceremony did not include a comparable dedicated presentation of Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian culture.
The contrast sparked discussion across social media.
"I hope in the future, we can get better at acknowledging the Indigenous people that make up this land, and not just this land, but also in Alaska and Hawaii," creator Aynsley Broom (Moananu P**a) shared online.
At the same time, many are recognizing Mexico and Canada for placing Indigenous Peoples prominently within their host-country welcome to the world.
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Source: AP / Reuters,
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