Title
Recognizing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in the City of Saint Paul.
Body
Whereas, recognizing that Saint Paul is on Dakota land, we acknowledge the importance of the Dakota sacred places that exist here; and
Whereas, the idea of 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, to reveal a more accurate historical record of the “discovery” of the United States of America, representatives from 120 Indigenous nations at the First Continental Conference on 500 years of Indian Resistance, unanimously passed a resolution in 1977 to transform Columbus Day into an occasion to recognize the contributions of Indigenous people; and
Whereas, the City of Saint Paul has a strong history of supporting the American Indian community and its advancement in our society and has recognized Indigenous Peoples Day since 2015; and
Whereas, nearly 900 Saint Paul students, representing 60 tribes, identify as American Indian and an estimated 1,500 students have some ancestral ties to American Indian tribes, with the largest groups representing Ojibwe, Lakota, Dakota and Ho-Chunk nations from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas; and
Whereas, the American Indian Education Program assists Saint Paul teachers who want to create meaningful lesson plans that highlight the history, culture and modern experiences of the American Indian community and has always tried to balance the narratives taught in many history textbooks with the lived experiences and oral histories of American Indian people; and
Whereas, many Saint Paul students participate in Ojibwe and Lakota-Dakota language classes, American Indian literature, American Indian history and American Indian art classes; and
Whereas, Saint Paul Public Schools and its Indian Education Program in collaboration with local American Indian agencies are marking Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, October 14 with a parade at 11 am, beginning at American Indian Magnet School and marching along Earl Street to Indian Mounds Park and offering events and activities from noon to 2 pm at the park with the theme of “We are Still Here” as a celebration of the history, culture and resilience of Indigenous People; and
Whereas, the event’s theme of “We are Still Here” is based in part on the research from Reclaiming Native Truth - A Project to Dispel America’s Myths and Misconceptions, which found that Native people are largely absent from K-12 education, mainstream news and pop culture and this lack of visibility directly undermines public support for Native rights and perpetuates, normalizes and institutionalizes invisibility and bias against Native peoples and the resulting absence contributes to the erasure of Native peoples from contemporary society, and reinforces discrimination and racism; therefore be it
Resolved, that the City of Saint Paul recognizes October 14, 2019 as Indigenous Peoples Day; and be it
Further resolved, that the City of Saint Paul supports the Saint Paul Public Schools and American Indian Education in the recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day; and be it
Further resolved, in recognition that Saint Paul is on Dakota land and acknowledging the importance of the Dakota sacred places that exist in current city parks, Saint Paul is committed to honoring tribal access for indigenous ceremonies or events held on city parkland; and be it
Further resolved that Indigenous Peoples Day shall be used to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous people and to support Indigenous people and allies to work together to re-educate Americans and change the story and perceptions that can help advance equity and social justice for all American Indians.