The city of Louisville, this Monday, Columbus Day, is planning to celebrate its first, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” It’s aimed at recognizing Native American history and culture.
Event co–organizer Angela Arnett- Garner says Louisville is one of 24 cities in Kentucky that’s passed an Indigenous Peoples’ Day Proclamation. She says Indigenous Peoples’ Day started in Berkeley, California in 1992.“It was really an attempt to balance the discussion, to add details about Native American History and Culture to the discussion that is common on Columbus Day about European colonization and exploration."
The Kentucky Native American Commission member, says Stanford was the first Kentucky city to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This weekend people in Stanford are planning to celebrate Native American heritage with a ceremony and music by Bill Miller, an award winning guitarist, vocalist and flute player
“Our goal is primarily to celebrate Native American history and culture and call attention to that more because right here in the state of Kentucky we have a rich history. There’s at least thirty thousand Native Americans, according to the census, who live here in the state representing over two hundred tribes.”
Arnett-Garner says Madison County became the first county in the state of Kentucky to pass an Indigenous Peoples’ Proclamation.
At least four states including Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and South Dakota do not celebrate Columbus Day.
