Dear Friends and Supporters of Indigenous Peoples Day:

For decades, Christopher Columbus has been celebrated as a “hero” who “discovered America.” Indigenous people have made it clear that in truth he and his men were responsible for the enslavement, rape and murder of countless Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean, and that the lands where he arrived were invaded, not “discovered.” Since the 1970s, Indigenous people have asked that Indigenous Peoples Day should instead be celebrated on the second Monday in October as a positive day to learn about and honor Indigenous history and peoples. States such as Maine and Vermont already celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, as do an increasing number of cities and towns in Massachusetts, from Holyoke to Northampton to Provincetown and Aquinnah, Westford, Medway, Somerville and Cambridge. The time has come for the entire state of Massachusetts to stop celebrating Columbus and instead honor Indigenous Peoples Day. An Act establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day will make that happen.

Please take a moment today to contact your legislators and the Joint Committee on State Administration & Regulatory Oversight asking them to vote the bills out favorably (H.2989 and S.1976). The text of the bill reads as follows: “Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 12V and inserting in place thereof the following section:– Section 12V. The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day and recommending that it be observed by the people, with appropriate exercises in the schools and otherwise, to acknowledge the history of genocide and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and to recognize and celebrate the thriving cultures and continued resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples and their tribal nations.”