The 2023-2024 MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda includes 5 priorities. For each bill’s hearing, we turned out and testified. Now, the committees need to report our bills favorably out of committee before the deadline on February 7th. Please join us in calling for each of these bills to move out of committee!

• An Act prohibiting the use of Native American mascots by public schools in the Commonwealth. H.477/S.245 (Fluker Oakley/Comerford) Currently about 25 public high schools in the state still use Native American mascots. This bill would task the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education with establishing regulations to prohibit Native American mascots in MA public schools.

• An Act establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day. H.2989/S.1976 (Barber/Comerford) This bill replaces Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in the Massachusetts General Laws.

• An act relative to celebrating and teaching Native American cultures and history. H.529/S.344 (Lewis/Rausch)This bill addresses the lack of Indigenous curriculum in Massachusetts public schools.

• An Act providing for the creation of a permanent commission relative to the education of American Indian and Alaska Native residents of the Commonwealth. H.536/ S.318 (Miranda/Comerford, Montaño) As a State Education Agency, the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must engage in timely and meaningful consultation with stakeholders. Representatives of Indian tribes located in the state are explicitly identified as stakeholders.

• An Act to protect Native American Heritage. H.3248/S.2186 (Rogers/Biele, Collins) This would ensure that Native American funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony (those of cultural, traditional or historical importance to their heritage) held in governmental, municipal or non-profit collections are not sold for profit.

The Massachusetts Indigenous Legislative Agenda includes leadership from United American Indians of New England, North American Indian Center of Boston, MA Mascot Coalition, Cultural Survival, UU Mass Action, Massachusetts Peace Action, Italian Americans for Indigenous Peoples Day, Network for Social Justice, and other allies.