PROVINCETOWN – On the second Monday of October in 2020, Provincetown will be recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, as opposed to Columbus Day.
Last week, a day after Columbus Day, the town’s Select Board elected to change the name of the holiday after board member Lise King brought the idea of celebrating Native Americans as opposed to explorer Christopher Columbus forward.
King said the reasoning behind changing the name is “quite obvious.”
“I’m surprised, actually, that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has not yet taken this initiative. We like to consider ourselves leaders in the front of human rights and cultural forward thinking,” King said.
Acting Town Manager David Gardner supported the idea, but mentioned that the change would mainly send a message to the state government.
“It’s currently a state holiday, so by reaching out to our elected officials and requesting that they move something forward, I think, is generally the actionable item,” Gardner said.
Provincetown will join dozens of municipalities that recognize a different name for the holiday. South Dakota was the first state to officially make the change in 1989, where they now celebrate Native American Day.
Cities such as Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Dallas, as well as states such as North Carolina, Maine, and Vermont have also adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
This year, Mashpee was the first town on Cape Cod to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
About Brendan Fitzpatrick
