Title
RESOLUTION R-1718-23: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, DECLARING THE SECOND MONDAY IN OCTOBER AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY IN THE CITY OF NORMAN; REAFFIRMING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE THE WELL-BEING AND GROWTH OF NORMAN'S AMERICAN INDIAN AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES; AND PROMOTING DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF NORMAN BETWEEN INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.
Body
BACKGROUND: The Social Justice Committee of the Norman First American United Methodist Church approached the Norman Human Rights Commission ("HRC") to seek its support in requesting that the City adopt a Resolution designating the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day in the City of Norman. On April 24, 2017, the HRC voted unanimously to recommend that City Council adopt the proposed Resolution.
City Council discussed the Resolution at its August 8, 2017, Conference, and directed staff to prepare it for the August 22, 2017, Agenda.
DISCUSSION: Advocates have worked to establish an Indigenous Peoples' Day for decades. More cities have recognized Indigenous People's Day in the last few years. Berkeley, California, was the first major United States city to establish Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992. Seattle, Washington, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, each adopted similar resolutions in 2014. The States of California and South Dakota also recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. Since 2015, other cities who have passed similar measures include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Lawrence, Kansas; Portland, Oregon; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Olympia, Washington; Alpena, Michigan; and both Carrboro and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Bexar County, Texas, also recognizes Indigenous Peoples' Day.
In Oklahoma, Anadarko was the first city to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day with a Mayoral Proclamation on September 28, 2015. On October 12, 2015, the University of Oklahoma Student Government Association adopted a Jo...
Click here for full text