NEWBURYPORT – For approximately an hour on October 11, community leaders and area residents are expected to converge at the Moseley Woods Lodge to honor, recognize and observe Indigenous Peoples Day.

The family ceremony begins at 11 a.m.

The event was hosted by the First Religious Society, members and staff of the Unitarian Universalist Church, members of Theater In The Open, the Newburyport Public Library, and the Museum of Old Newbury.

Since 1971, Columbus Day has been a federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October to commemorate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas in 1492.

But in recent years, the holiday has been criticized by those who believe the holiday honors a person and others who harmed indigenous peoples during European colonization after the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

Local city council voted 7-4 last month to approve a resolution recognizing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day.

“We are delighted with the result,” said Mara Flynn, director of children’s ministry at the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist Church.

The vote came about a year after the local Indigenous Peoples Day initiative began in fall 2020, when a small group of members and staff of the first religious society consulted with Mahtowin Munroe of the ‘Indigenous People’s Day MA.

Following Munroe’s advice, church leaders began to partner with community allies, including the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative, as well as activists and local educators, with the goal of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.

“It’s encouraging to see all the groups moving down this path,” said Flynn, adding that social justice was a big part of the church’s mission.

In a statement taken from the Indigenous People’s Day MA website, the church explained why it was important to change the name of the party.

“It is a refusal to let the genocide of millions of indigenous peoples go unnoticed and a request for recognition of indigenous humanity,” the statement said. “Recognizing this day in place of what is currently known as ‘Columbus Day’ is a way to correct false stories, honor Indigenous peoples, and begin to right some of the countless wrongs committed against peoples. natives of Turtle Island (now called the Americas). ”

The event will honor the history of the indigenous peoples of the region, including the Algonquins and the Pennacooks, and will support cultural redress and a permanent shift towards the sole recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day at the municipal, state and national levels.

There will be local history, music, stories and a land recognition statement, according to church officials.

Dave Rogers is a reporter for the Daily News in Newburyport. Email him at: [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @ drogers41008.

Dave Rogers is a reporter for the Daily News in Newburyport. Email him at: [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @ drogers41008.