MENDOCINO Co., 10/11/21 — In 2019, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors officially declared the second Monday in October a recurring holiday recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the county, although the day had been celebrated by the county in previous years. This year, the City of Fort Bragg also issued a proclamation recognizing the holiday in the City of Fort Bragg, and the declaration will be read at the October 12 city council meeting.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is also celebrated as a statewide holiday in California, and in a number of municipalities and states across the country, replacing the holiday known as Columbus Day. On Friday, President Biden became the first United States president to issue a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also issued his own proclamation, and announced a new partnership with the Decolonizing Wealth Project today as part of the state’s “Truth and Healing Council,” which was formally launched in December, 2020. More about that partnership and the council’s work can be found at the California Office of Tribal Affairs webpage.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, many in-person events celebrating the holiday have been changed or postponed, but there are still a number of events in the region you can participate in. Santa Rosa Junior College is holding a virtual event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and an in-person sunrise ceremony featuring tribal dancers and representatives from around California, including Mendocino County, took place on Alcatraz Island this morning. If you know of additional events happening, let us know in the comments or at [email protected] and we’ll add them in.
Here’s the proclamation from the City of Fort Bragg:
WHEREAS, in 1977, the idea of Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas; and
WHEREAS, on December 16, 2010, the United States endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People; and
WHEREAS, on September 21, 2020, the City of Fort Bragg adopted Resolution 4305-2020 renaming the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fort Bragg recognizes and deeply values the vast contributions made by Indigenous Peoples to our community, both historic and contemporary, in the areas of science, philosophy, arts and culture which have helped the United States, State of California, County of Mendocino and the City of Fort Bragg grow and thrive; and
WHEREAS, the City recognizes the fact that Fort Bragg is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region; and
WHEREAS, the City promotes the closing of the equity gap for Indigenous Peoples through policies and practices that reflect the experiences of Indigenous Peoples to ensure greater access and opportunity and to honor our nation’s indigenous roots, history, and contributions; and
WHEREAS, as residents of Fort Bragg, we set aside this day to celebrate and honor the heritage, resiliency, and diverse culture of the Indigenous Peoples including those in the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bernie Norvell, Mayor of the City of Fort Bragg, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby proclaim October 11, 2021 as Indigenous Peoples Day in the City of Fort Bragg and encourage all citizens of Fort Bragg to join in celebrating and learning about the different cultures of Indigenous Peoples in our country, state and city.
Here’s our coverage of the 2019 supervisors’ proclamation:
Editor’s note: this article has been updated to include information about the governor’s new partnership, which was released after publication.