Title
Declaring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in the City of Saint Paul; encouraging other institutions to recognize the Day; and reaffirming the City’s commitment to promote the well-being and growth of Saint Paul’s American Indian and Indigenous community.
Body
Whereas, the City of Saint Paul recognizes the occupation 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 of our society accomplished through and by American Indian thought, culture and technology; and
Whereas, the City of Saint Paul understands the importance of closing the equity gap, between and by government entities, organizations and other public institutions and to encourage change in policies and practices to better reflect the capabilities of American Indian people and recognize their Indigenous roots, history, and contributions; 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, in an effort 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 to transform Columbus day into an occasion to recognize the contributions of Indigenous people despite enormous efforts against native nations; and
Whereas, the City of Saint Paul has a strong history throughout the years of supporting the American Indian Community and its citizens advancement in our current society; and
Whereas, the United States federal government, the State of Minnesota, and the City of Saint Paul recognize Columbus Day on the Second Monday, in accordance with the federal holiday established in 1937;
Now, Therefore, ...
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