Santa Fe declares Indigenous Peoples Day

SANTA FE, N.M. – The City Of Santa Fe has declared every second Monday in October as “Indigenous Peoples Day.” A unanimous vote of the City Council made the day official.
 
“We are proud to be part of a national movement to honor the importance of Native culture and history, and we hope that many other cities will follow suit,” said Mayor Javier Gonzales. “We are committed to making sure Santa Fe lives up to its reputation as a place that welcomes all and acknowledges the contributions of all to our wonderful and culturally-diverse City—especially the Native people who are the foundation of our one-of-a-kind cultural landscape.”
 
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. The city of Santa Fe recognizes that the indigenous peoples of the lands that later became known as the Americas have occupied these lands for over 1,000 years and that Santa Fe is built on the homelands and villages of indigenous peoples without whom the building of the city and its world renown as a multicultural artistic and historic trade hub would not have been possible.
 
“This year will be one of recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day on October 10, 2016,” said Randy Randall, Executive Director for TOURISM Santa Fe. “We look forward to working with tribal leaders toward next year to create a planned annual celebration that welcomes representatives of the Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos in New Mexico who would like to participate. We envision a celebration that would include dancers, drummers, singers, musicians and storytellers who wish to join us in commemorating this special day on Monday, October 9, 2017 and all the second Mondays in October to follow.”