Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Carole Groom, District 2
Subject: Resolution declaring the second Monday in October “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in the County of San Mateo
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution declaring the second Monday in October “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in conjunction with Columbus Day in the County of San Mateo.
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BACKGROUND:
Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates the indigenous peoples of the Americas and has been recognized by numerous jurisdictions in California and across the western hemisphere. The land that constitutes San Mateo County has records of human settlement dating back thousands of years. When the Spanish arrived in California in the 18th century, the Ohlone people populated the entire Bay Area. According to the 2010 census, San Mateo County today is home to nearly 2500 individuals who identify as American Indian, and indigenous culture is celebrated at numerous events around the Bay Area including the Berkeley and Stanford powwows.
Cities that recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day generally select the second Monday in October, Columbus Day, since that holiday’s sole focus on Columbus is perceived by some to disregard the fact that his arrival in the Americas may have contributed to the collapse of indigenous civilizations from disease, war, and loss of land. The City of Berkeley, for example, declared the first Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 12, 1992, the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in the Americas.
DISCUSSION:
The Youth Commission took up the issue of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and is recommending that the County recognize it. This resolution demonstrates the County of San Mateo’s commitment to recognizing the history of the indigenous people of the area and to celebrating the Native American culture that thrives in the County and around the country today.
Because Columbus Day remains an official Federal and State Holiday and is celebrated by many as a symbol of Italian-American history and culture, the County will recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day while continuing to recognize Columbus Day on the second Monday in October.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.