Advocates are celebrating after Phoenix became the largest city in the nation to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a holiday.
The unanimous vote from Phoenix City Council Wednesday officially recognizes the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the same day as Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a nationwide movement which opposes Columbus Day and works to remind people to honor the native communities that played a major role in shaping the Americas.
The city does not intend to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but the day will promote equality for all indigenous people, according to a city council report.
Phoenix residents Carlos Bravo and Jeffrey Malkoon were the first to take the issue to the Phoenix courts in May, filing a Heritage and Historical Celebration Commemoration Application.
“We have the third-largest Native American community in the nation, so just to have this day where citizens can celebrate and take advantage of that will be good,” Bravo said.
Phoenix public schools will now be required to teach about Indigenous Peoples’ Day as well.
“I think it’s fantastic that we are going to be teaching kids about our own history here in the Southwest, which doesn’t really include Columbus quite as much as it includes the indigenous tribes,” Jeffrey Malkoon said.
The Native Americans for Academics, Success and Unity (NAASU) organization supports the holiday, and will celebrate its first Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year by hosting a campus-wide event three days before the holiday on Oct. 7 on Arizona State University’s downtown campus.
NAASU will have tables out on Taylor Mall with educational material about indigenous communities, leaders, and issues. They will highlight tribal community accomplishments with the intent of sharing information and educating students.
“I grew up on the Navajo Nation and I attended public high school, but I did not learn or hear anything about tribal communities in Arizona or in the United States,” Keemesha Shay, NAASU president said. “I feel if Indigenous People’s Day is taught in public schools, it can give students a new perspective and knowledge about the diversity and beauty of indigenous culture everywhere.”
Outside of the schools, some have already started teaching the public about the diverse indigenous culture and why it is so important to celebrate the day.
Puente Arizona is working with Indigenous Peoples Day Arizona, Valley Natives and Indigenous Vision. They will host an event on Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year with traditional food, artists and speakers. Ernesto Lopez, a representative of Puente Arizona, expressed the importance of coming alongside the indigenous communities in their effort.
“I know they have been fighting for a long time,”Lopez said. “There are many indigenous communities in Arizona. I think it is important for us to recognize their influence and their existence here.”
Lopez hopes the adoption of Indigenous Peoples’ Day will increase the possibility that other minorities have their key holidays legally recognized.
“I hope it would open up other holidays for other communities who have also been fighting for a long time,” Lopez said.
Contact the reporter at ljmarsh1@asu.edu.
