This past week, the City of Alexandria Council passed a resolution replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Day. In the same resolution, the Council called on all sports teams in the area with Native American names and mascots to abandon these stereotypes and racial slurs.
Other local councils must pass these resolutions and also urge Mr. Daniel Snyder to change the name of his professional football team. The District of Columbia and Arlington County councils passed resolutions requesting Mr. Snyder change the name of his team. We are looking at other large and traditionally progressive counties such as Montgomery County to follow suit.
The newly passed resolution states in part:
WHEREAS, 50,000 Indigenous Peoples comprised at least 15 separate Nations prior to the arrival of English settlers in Virginia. These include the Doege Indian village, which was cited on John Smith’s 1608 map, and the Nottoway, Mattaponi, Nansemond, Pamunkey, Manahoac, Tutelo, Patawomeck, Sappony, Shawnee, Occaneechi, Meherrin, Paspahegh, Appommatoc, Chisca, and Westo; and
WHEREAS, recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be a crucial first step in acknowledging the deliberate and systematic oppression of Indigenous People, to celebrate their resiliency and contributions while acknowledging the current presence of Native Nations and their thriving cultures, while also sharing current issues facing their communities; and WHEREAS, since 1994, more than 130 cities across the country have renamed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day; and
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Alexandria does hereby proclaim that the second Monday of each October shall perpetually be known and celebrated as Indigenous Peoples’ Day;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Alexandria calls on all sports organization operating in the Commonwealth of Virginia to cease the heinous use of Indigenous Peoples’ liken as mascots.
The full resolution can be viewed here:
Other local councils must pass these resolutions and also urge Mr. Daniel Snyder to change the name of his professional football team. The District of Columbia and Arlington County councils passed resolutions requesting Mr. Snyder change the name of his team. We are looking at other large and traditionally progressive counties such as Montgomery County to follow suit.
The newly passed resolution states in part:
WHEREAS, 50,000 Indigenous Peoples comprised at least 15 separate Nations prior to the arrival of English settlers in Virginia. These include the Doege Indian village, which was cited on John Smith’s 1608 map, and the Nottoway, Mattaponi, Nansemond, Pamunkey, Manahoac, Tutelo, Patawomeck, Sappony, Shawnee, Occaneechi, Meherrin, Paspahegh, Appommatoc, Chisca, and Westo; and
WHEREAS, recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be a crucial first step in acknowledging the deliberate and systematic oppression of Indigenous People, to celebrate their resiliency and contributions while acknowledging the current presence of Native Nations and their thriving cultures, while also sharing current issues facing their communities; and WHEREAS, since 1994, more than 130 cities across the country have renamed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day; and
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Alexandria does hereby proclaim that the second Monday of each October shall perpetually be known and celebrated as Indigenous Peoples’ Day;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Alexandria calls on all sports organization operating in the Commonwealth of Virginia to cease the heinous use of Indigenous Peoples’ liken as mascots.
The full resolution can be viewed here:
| city_of_alexandria_indigenous_peoples_day_resolution.pdf |
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