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Mpls. junks Columbus day for 'indigenous people's day'
KARE 11 Staff, KARE 2:07 p.m. EDT April 25, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS - Columbus is out, and indigenous people are in this as the City of Minneapolis puts a new face on an old holiday.
The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Betsy Hodges unanimously approved a resolution Friday that will recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in Minneapolis, beginning this year.
"This act recognizes and celebrates the native people who still live on this land and will foster stronger relationships moving forward," said Mayor Betsy Hodges. "I am grateful to the community for organizing to make this a reality and am honored to sign this resolution, something I promised last summer I would."
The City of Minneapolis, like the federal government and other large cities across America, has for many years recognized the holiday as Columbus Day. Today's resolution recognizes the day as Indigenous Peoples Day, marking and celebrating the significance of the American Indian and Indigenous community in Minneapolis, as well as the city's history of American Indian activism.
"This has been a long time coming and people are going to feel really good about how we're moving forward and advancing a racial equity agenda that really elevates the voice and contributions of American Indian people," said City Council Member Alondra Cano, who authored the resolution.
The concept of Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native nations at a United Nations-sponsored conference, and has since been adopted in various forms by several cities around the country.
Minneapolis' resolution, in part, states, "The City of Minneapolis recognizes the annexation of Dakota homelands for the building of our city, and knows Indigenous nations have lived upon this land since time immemorial and values the progress our society has accomplished through American Indian technology, thought, and culture."
As part of the resolution, the City of Minneapolis also encourages other businesses, organizations and public entities to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.
KARE 11 Staff, KARE 2:07 p.m. EDT April 25, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS - Columbus is out, and indigenous people are in this as the City of Minneapolis puts a new face on an old holiday.
The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Betsy Hodges unanimously approved a resolution Friday that will recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in Minneapolis, beginning this year.
"This act recognizes and celebrates the native people who still live on this land and will foster stronger relationships moving forward," said Mayor Betsy Hodges. "I am grateful to the community for organizing to make this a reality and am honored to sign this resolution, something I promised last summer I would."
The City of Minneapolis, like the federal government and other large cities across America, has for many years recognized the holiday as Columbus Day. Today's resolution recognizes the day as Indigenous Peoples Day, marking and celebrating the significance of the American Indian and Indigenous community in Minneapolis, as well as the city's history of American Indian activism.
"This has been a long time coming and people are going to feel really good about how we're moving forward and advancing a racial equity agenda that really elevates the voice and contributions of American Indian people," said City Council Member Alondra Cano, who authored the resolution.
The concept of Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native nations at a United Nations-sponsored conference, and has since been adopted in various forms by several cities around the country.
Minneapolis' resolution, in part, states, "The City of Minneapolis recognizes the annexation of Dakota homelands for the building of our city, and knows Indigenous nations have lived upon this land since time immemorial and values the progress our society has accomplished through American Indian technology, thought, and culture."
As part of the resolution, the City of Minneapolis also encourages other businesses, organizations and public entities to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.
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