Before entering the Cook County courthouse for a special meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, about 25 people gathered under the old pine on the courthouse lawn to listen to the drum song of the Stonebridge Singers. The gathering was a statement of support for an earlier request by Grand Portage youths to declare the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day.
Before entering the courthouse for a special meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Monday, October 12, about 25 people gathered on the courthouse lawn to listen to the drum song of the Stonebridge Singers. The young men of the drum group, their mentors and supportive community members stood in a light rain to make a statement about how important the endorsement of Indigenous Peoples’ Day was to them.
At 2 p.m., the drum song ended and the Grand Portage youths and approximately 80 community members crowded into the commissioners’ room to make another appeal to declare the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day.
With County Board Chair Heidi Doo-Kirk unable to attend the meeting, Vice-Chair Garry Gamble chaired the meeting, thanking all for coming to speak about the proposal. He gave the ground rules for the public meeting— two minutes per speaker, with a half hour total for public comment.
Only a few people came forward to speak, but as they did many heads in the room nodded and there were several moments of spontaneous applause, despite cautions from the chair and Commissioner Frank Moe not to do so.
As Cook County High School teacher David Liechty spoke about the complicated history of Columbus Day, the Cook County commissioners’ room became more and more crowded, primarily with people who supported the move to endorse honoring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
John Thompson was first to speak and he pointed out the question of whether or not to adopt the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day had been answered by what took place at the start of the meeting, the Pledge of Allegiance. He said the pledge calls for “justice for all.”
That means honoring the indigenous people of our country. He urged the board to pass a resolution of support. “This is a way for the United States to become what it wants to be,” said Thompson.
Cook County Schools Teacher David Liechty, who spoke when the issue was discussed a week ago, returned and gave a speed reading history of Columbus Day, of its origin and the “faux patriotism” it inspired. He couldn’t read his information fast enough and was cut off after two minutes.
Superintendent of Cook County Schools Beth Schwarz also spoke in favor of passing the proclamation, reminding commissioners that the ISD 166 had passed its own proclamation on September 24, 2015, eliminating Columbus Day and naming the second Monday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the school district. Schwarz said, “Today, a proclamation is before you. As the superintendent of schools, I’m asking you to support the American Indian children of this county and to unanimously pass this proclamation.”
Only one person spoke of concerns with the proposal. Lloyd Speck said he didn’t understand why this had been brought to the county board. He said this is something that should be brought up on the federal level. He noted that the name of the high school sports team is the Cook County Vikings and asked if that should be renamed as well. And he asked, should the country get rid of Thanksgiving as well.
Reyna Crow, of Duluth, an organizer for Idle No More and a foster parent, and Anna Hamilton of Grand Marais, both also spoke in favor of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day proclamation. Hamilton said everyone talks about the importance of community and said, “Let’s prove it. Prove that we are one community by passing this,” she said.
Because few people spoke, Commissioner Gamble asked Liechty if he wanted to finish his statement, and the teacher came forward once again, noting that this matter is really about “our students’ voices.” He again quickly read from his statement and added, “This is not about being politically correct, but about being historically correct… It’s not about dividing us further, but about bringing us together…”
Commissioner Gamble turned to his board colleagues and asked for their thoughts. Commissioner Jan Sivertson said she regretted that a resolution or proclamation was not passed when the issue was first raised on September 29. However, she said the huge show of support on this day was the “silver lining.”
Commissioner Ginny Storlie said she has been a commissioner for just nine months and she is still learning. She said after the initial meeting, she had to educate herself about resolutions versus proclamations and about community building. Storlie said, “I found out, through emails, through letters, through phone calls that this is a community that cares. That is why we are here today.”
When it was Commissioner Frank Moe’s turn to speak he said the time to adopt the designation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day was now, on the second Monday of October, the day on which Columbus Day has traditionally been celebrated. He said many people have asked for patience, but he said the idea of waiting another year is “intolerable.”
Moe made a motion to adopt the proclamation, which he acknowledged did not change anything on the federal level, but which, he said, was “an affirmative public statement.”
Commissioner Sivertson seconded the motion and discussion ensued, with Gamble noting that it took 20 years for the Native American community to come to agreement on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. He said the county board had two weeks to consider the idea.
Schwarz interjected that the school had brought the idea to a joint city/county/ school board/tribal council meeting a year ago. Gamble answered that the formal discussion began just two weeks ago. He said he had wrestled with the concept of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and about the broader issue, which is that people of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds should respect one anothers’ culture and history.
Gamble shared a proclamation that had been passed by the city of Grand Rapids and asked that language from that proclamation be merged with the one brought to the board by Commissioner Moe. The potential change was discussed at length and Storlie said, “I think it’s a matter of semantics.”
Storlie asked what input he had on his resolution. Moe said because of Open Meeting Laws which keep commissioners from discussing issues outside of public meetings, he hadn’t had the chance to wordsmith the proclamation with his colleagues. He said he had worked with the county administrator to make sure the language was “legal and appropriate” and with people in Grand Portage, as well as reviewing the proclamation issued by the school board and the Grand Marais mayor, who issued a proclamation himself on October 5, 2015.
Gamble asked for a show of hands from those who were at the meeting in support of passing a proclamation. Nearly every hand went up. The vote on the proclamation was finally called and passed, with Sivertson, Storlie, and Moe voting in favor. Gamble cast a no vote, reiterating that he preferred some different language and stating, “Moving forward let this proclamation change the way we live our lives and relate to one another…”
Gamble rapped the gavel and said, “Motion passed,” and the crowd which had been listening solemnly burst into applause and a cheer.
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Cook County, MN recognizes that the Indigenous Peoples of the lands that would later become known as the Americas have occupied these lands since time immemorial; and
WHEREAS, Cook County, recognizes that Cook County is built upon and shares the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region, without whose knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosophy, arts, and deep cultural contribution the building of the County and the County’s character would not have been possible; and
WHEREAS, Cook County, has a responsibility to oppose the systemic racism and misunderstanding towards Indigenous People in the United States, which perpetuates poverty and income inequality, and erodes access to health, education, and social stability; and
WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The Cook County Minnesota Board, does hereby proclaim the following:
Indigenous Peoples’ Day shall be an opportunity to celebrate the thriving cultures and positive values of the Indigenous Peoples of our region.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day shall be used to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous People, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Indigenous nations add to our county.
The second Monday in October shall be recognized exclusively as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Cook County.
Motion by
Second by
ADOPTED BY THE COOK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ON OCTOBER 12, 2015.
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