Item Coversheet


Town of Arlington, Massachusetts


ARTICLE 86
Warrant Article Title:
RESOLUTION/CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
Warrant Article Text:
To see if the Town will vote to celebrate and recognize the heritage of the peoples indigenous to Massachusetts and Arlington by resolving to encourage celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day throughout the Town on the second Monday in October; or take any action related thereto.
Requested by:
(Inserted at the Request of the Arlington Human Rights Commission) 
Report Excerpt:

This Article from the Arlington Human Rights Commission builds upon a January 25, 2020 proclamation and is nearly identical in substance to what the Select Board has already endorsed within its capacity and jurisdiction. While there is some overlap with said previous action, the Board urges Town Meeting’s support for a non-binding Resolution to further promote the celebration of the rich and diverse history and cultures of Indigenous Peoples.

 

The Board takes care to note that celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day is in no way a repudiation of celebration of Italian-Americans and their forebears. The mythologized Columbus expeditions and cruel governance over Caribbean islands has little to do with Italian-Americans’ enormous contributions to United States history and culture. While it is not an easy matter to navigate ways of celebrating all of the diverse populations in the United States for their unique histories and contributions, the Board is convinced that in light of the injustices suffered by indigenous peoples and the present challenges indigenous persons and communities face, refocusing the holiday in question on the value of the indigenous communities of the past and present should be prioritized here in Arlington as increasingly is the case throughout our neighboring communities, the Commonwealth and the nation. 

Vote Language:

That Town Meeting hereby Adopts the following resolution previously adopted by the Select Board on January 25, 2021:

 

WHEREAS the Indigenous Peoples of the lands that would later become known as the Americas and specifically the Massachusett tribe in the lands which would later become known as Menotomy (from an Algonquian word), have occupied these lands since time immemorial; and 

 

WHEREAS the Town of Arlington, Massachusetts (the “Town”) wishes to honor our nation and town's Indigenous roots, history and contributions; and

 

WHEREAS the cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas are worthy of being promoted, their history is rich, diverse, and worthy of celebration; and

 

WHEREAS the actions and policies of European colonizers of the Americas actively destroyed and suppressed parts of those cultures, and racism has served to perpetuate high rates of poverty for Indigenous Peoples and led to inequities in health, education, and housing, as illustrated most recently with the severe impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities; and

 

WHEREAS the Town has a history of opposing racism, and prominent residents throughout history such as Cyrus Dallin were particularly active in advancing the rights of Indigenous peoples; and

 

WHEREAS Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in Geneva in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations-sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas; and

 

WHEREAS in 1990, representatives from 120 Indigenous nations at the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance unanimously passed a resolution to transform Columbus Day into an occasion to strengthen the process of continental unity and struggle towards liberation, and thereby use the occasion to reveal a more accurate historical record; and WHEREAS the District of Columbia, States of Alaska, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and localities including Somerville MA, Cambridge MA, Brookline MA, Newton MA, Marblehead MA, Northampton MA, Amherst MA, Portland ME, Los Angeles CA, San Francisco CA, Denver CO, Portland OR, Seattle WA, Columbus OH and many more have adopted Indigenous Peoples Day as a counter-celebration, in lieu of Columbus Day, to promote Indigenous cultures and commemorate the history of Indigenous Peoples; and WHEREAS Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas specifically on the Caribbean islands of The Bahamas on October 12, 1492 and, later, on Hispaniola (present-day countries of the Dominican Republic and Haiti); and voyages of Columbus to the Americas initiated the transatlantic slave trade and the era of conquest, and his governorship of the Caribbean instituted systematic policies of slavery and extermination of Indigenous populations, especially the Taino/Arawak people whose population was reduced from approximately 8 million to 100,000, being further reduced by the continuation of his policies until near-extinction in 1542. 

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Arlington Town Meeting joins the Select Board in proclaiming that the second Monday of October shall be commemorated as Indigenous Peoples Day in Arlington, superseding local references to Columbus Day and in recognition of the position of Indigenous Peoples as native to these lands, and the suffering they faced during and since the European conquest; 

 

and be it further RESOLVED that the people of Arlington, as well as local businesses, organizations, and public institutions are encouraged to observe Indigenous Peoples Day by reflecting upon the dispossession of the homelands and villages of the Massachusett people of this region who lived here for millennia prior to the arrival of European settlers, and upon the history of the other Indigenous Peoples who have lived in Arlington, and by celebrating the survival of Indigenous Peoples and recognizing their struggle to perpetuate and celebrate their ancestral heritage and practices, as well as celebrating the thriving cultures and values that Indigenous Peoples have brought and continue to bring to our Town and the wider community;

 

and be it further RESOLVED that in any observances, Arlington shall endeavor to include Indigenous representation from amongst its residents and from the Massachusett tribe and will also seek representation from Indigenous organizations in the area such as the North American Indian Center of Boston, United American Indians of New England, Cultural Survival, and IndigenousPeoplesDayMA.org as well as other Arlington community representation from segments of the community; and be it further RESOLVED that the Arlington Public Schools are encouraged to join in this observance with appropriate exercises and/or instruction in all schools around the time of Indigenous Peoples Day, to the end that the culture, history and diversity of Indigenous Peoples be celebrated and perpetuated; 

 

and be it further RESOLVED that local businesses, organizations, and public institutions are encouraged to evaluate their imagery and insignia, to ensure that representations of Indigenous Peoples are not misappropriated, with a preference for using the Town Seal in official capacities.

 

  (5-0)