Title
To Honor and Recognize October 12th as Indigenous People’s Day
Body
WHEREAS, the ongoing significance and many contributions of Native Americans in our cultural, social, and political development deserves recognition; and
WHEREAS, Columbus Day is observed as a federal holiday since 1937, and the City of Columbus has not formally recognized the holiday since 2018; and
WHEREAS, the celebration of Columbus Day represents only a part of the history of this country’s and region’s cultural evolution; and
WHEREAS, Council recognizes that colonizers forcibly removed native peoples from their land and committed an act of genocide; and
WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples' Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas; and
WHEREAS, Native American history, legends, art, as well as place names for cities, states, and rivers, etc., are interwoven into the spirit and fabric of our everyday lives; and
WHEREAS, this Council acknowledges central Ohio as the traditional homeland of the Shawnee, Miami, Wyandotte and other Indigenous nations who have strong ties to these lands; therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby Honor and Recognize October 12th as Indigenous Peoples Day.