By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly on Tuesday reaffirmed the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day.
The “resolved” section of the resolution “firmly commits to continue its efforts to promote the well-being and growth of Sitka’s Alaska Native, American Indian and Indigenous community, and encourages other businesses, organizations and public institutions to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.”
Alaska is one of 30 states with an Indigenous Peoples Day observance, marked on the same day as the Columbus Day federal holiday. Columbus Day is a holiday for federal workers but is not observed by many states, including Alaska.
The Assembly passed its first Indigenous Peoples Day resolution in 2017, when Kevin Knox and Tristan Guevin were the cosponsors. Guevin’s Assembly term has ended, and Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz joined Knox as cosponsor this year.
The resolution was adopted on a unanimous vote.
“There are many activities within our community and communities across the state that recognize and celebrate and examine what it means to be in Alaska as colonizers or as Native people who have been here since time immemorial,” Knox said.
Crystal Duncan agreed that the recognition is appropriate.
“Twenty-seventeen was a pivotal year,” she said. “We’ve been here in Alaska for 10,000-plus years but in 2017 we had an official day to commemorate our contributions here in this state. We were the second state in the union to officially say on an ongoing basis that second Monday will be Indigenous Peoples Day.”
Sitka Tribe of Alaska had already recognized Indigenous Peoples Day, and reaffirmed their stance in 2017. The University of Alaska also had an official recognition that year, Duncan said.
Duncan encouraged others to mark the day to “engage in cultural sharing or learn more about indigenous communities.”
“That’s definitely a day we come together to do that,” she said. “I’m going to end by thanking Kevin Knox by leading not only on this issue, but issues similar to this over the tenure of his Assembly service. So thank you for your service, sir. Gunalchéesh.”
One of the Whereas statements recognizes the contributions by Indigenous people to “knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosophy, arts and the deep cultural contribution that has substantially shaped the character of the City and Borough of Sitka.”
Another Whereas highlights Sitka’s responsibility to “oppose systematic racism towards Indigenous people in the United States and the City and Borough of Sitka, which perpetuates high rates of poverty and income inequality, exacerbating disproportionate health, education, and social crises...”
Eisenbeisz said if the resolution passes, he will read it in its entirety under ceremonial matters at the next meeting.
Alaska first observed Indigenous Peoples Day in 2015, becoming the second state to do so, after South Dakota (1989). Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have joined in the recognition since then.
In 2021 President Biden became the first president to formally declare October 11, 2021, Indigenous Peoples Day.
