Melrose To Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day

MELROSE, MA — Melrose will now recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day, with Mayor Paul Brodeur issuing a proclamation less than 24 hours after the school district took similar action.

Brodeur's proclamation, issued Wednesday afternoon, does not mention Columbus Day, though it does reference the suffering Columbus caused Indigenous People.

Columbus Day will remain on the books, though only as a formality as it is a federal holiday and baked into some pre-existing collective bargaining agreements. The School Committee on Tuesday night erased Columbus Day from its calendar altogether.

"Columbus Day is a legal holiday," City Solicitor Robert Van Campen said at a November City Council meeting discussing the authority to adjust the calendar. "It is codified in both federal and state law."

The proclamation also encourages the school to observe the holiday with "appropriate instruction to celebrate the culture, diversity, and history of Indigenous Peoples."

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.