House approves Indigenous Peoples' Day
The Montana State Flag and tribal flags fly in front of the Montana State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Photo by Mike Clark for the Daily Montanan)
Montana will soon have a new holiday on the books, after the House approved of Senate Bill 224 to add Indigenous Peoples' Day to the list of legal state holidays.
The House on Wednesday passed the bill 87-12, establishing the holiday to be celebrated on the second Monday of October, in addition to recognizing Columbus Day the same day.
'The day has morphed into something to recognize everyone. Always going to be a strong presence of Montana Indians, but this effort is trying to incorporate and include everyone,' said Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning, who carried the bill in the House. 'It's a day that celebrates the ancestral lineage of all Montanans, again, all Montanans.
'And it's a day that is shaped and molded by each community and how that community wants to celebrate each other. So this bill gets away from eliminating a holiday and simply gives Montanans the option to celebrate what they prefer on the second Monday in October.'
Attempts to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in previous sessions were unsuccessful, partially due to some versions of legislation eliminating Columbus Day completely. The current version of the bill passed the Senate in February with just three opponents.
The co-celebration of the two holidays in October is done in Rhode Island, Nebraska and Alabama, while four states and Washington, D.C., have established Indigenous Peoples' Day as a standalone state holiday.
Running Wolf said in the committee hearing many Montanans came and shared stories about their backgrounds — some Native, some from other parts of the world. One man with Irish heritage came in and spoke the Irish language, sharing its meaning to his own history.
'And it was beautiful. And we celebrated it all together,' Running Wolf said. '… What we heard in the hearing is that people want to learn about each other and the rich heritage that so many Montanans bring to Montana.'
During floor debate, Rep. Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork, introduced an amendment to change the order of holidays in the bill, to make Columbus Day listed first to maintain 'its precedence of establishment.'
Running Wolf said his biggest concern was that it would delay the process by sending the bill back to the Senate and cost more taxpayer money. The amendment failed to pass 27-70.
'Indigenous Peoples' Day is a testament to our shared history values as Montanans, it celebrates the collaborative efforts to the stewards of our land, educates us about the profound knowledge and contributions of all Montana communities, and highlights our shared strength and responsibility,' Running Wolf said. 'By honoring this day we take pride in our past, foster a deep understanding of all Indigenous entities and work together protect our cherish holiday heritage for future generations.'
The bill made one additional change to recognized state holidays by updating 'Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays' to 'Presidents' Day.'
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