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Boston officially changes Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day after mayor signs executive order

Kim Janey
Posted at 4:09 PM, Oct 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-07 16:09:00-04

Oct. 11 will no longer be recognized as Columbus Day in Boston after acting Mayor Kim Janey signed an executive order on Thursday.

Instead, the day will be referred to now as Indigenous Peoples Day.

Observing Indigenous Peoples Day is about replacing the colonial myths passed down from generation to generation with the true history of the land upon which our nation was founded," Mayor Janey said.

Boston joins more than two dozen cities in Massachusetts in changing the name.

"Recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day is an important step towards addressing the lived experiences of many residents and building trust between municipalities and Indigenous nations," said Raquel Halsey, member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and Executive Director of North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB).

A report by the Boston Herald found that several Native American groups claim Christopher Columbus delivered suffering and brutality to people he encountered in 1492 after crossing the Atlantic Ocean.