RESOLUTION NO. 250886
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Sponsor: Councilmember Johnathan Duncan
RESOLUTION - Acknowledging Indigenous People's Day on the 2nd Monday in October in the City of Kansas City and recognizing the contributions of Kansas City Indian Center.
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WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City officially declared the second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day in 2017, and as Indigenous People’s Day annually thereafter in 2021; and
WHEREAS, the second Monday of October is currently a federal holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus, glorifying a man whose genocidal acts against Indigenous People are well-documented, whitewashing history and promoting inaccurate narratives; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City, located in the State of Missouri, is named after the Missouria (Nutachi) tribe; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City is located in Jackson County, which is named after Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States who was a Tennessee slave owner and the leading proponent of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which caused the forced relocation, death and suffering of thousands of Indigenous People; and
WHEREAS, original and displaced tribes inhabiting the State of Missouri, were systematically removed from the State of Missouri; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City acknowledges the history of dispossession and violence against Indigenous People and has committed to addressing systemic inequity and structural racism and being an inclusive city; and
WHEREAS, since 1971, Kansas City Indian Center has served as Kansas City’s only multi-purpose social service agency for the American Indian population, providing social service supports, preservation of and connection to Indigenous identity, and has greatly contributed to the diversity of the Kansas City community; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the Mayor and Council hereby reaffirm and acknowledge the 2nd Monday in October of each year as Indigenous People's Day in the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and recognize the Kansas City Indian Center for its legacy of service and contributions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that a copy hereof be presented to Kansas City Indian Center with the Mayor and Council encouraging the citizens of Kansas City to educate themselves on Indigenous history, current events, and contributions of Indigenous People.
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