Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
RES-2016-012 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> RESOLUTION <br /> RECOGNIZING THE SECOND MONDAY OF OCTOBER AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY <br /> WHEREAS, the people of Orange County of the State of North Carolina, inclusive of the incorporated and <br /> unincorporated areas, recognize that nations of Indigenous Peoples have lived upon this land now known as <br /> the Americas since time immemorial; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County acknowledges that the annexation of the homelands of Indigenous Peoples <br /> occurred over the centuries for the establishment and development of Orange County; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County values the contributions made to the progress of society accomplished through <br /> the knowledge, labor, technology, philosophy, arts and culture of Indigenous Peoples; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County recognizes its responsibility to promote the human and civil rights of all people <br /> inclusive of Indigenous People of the United States; and <br /> WHEREAS, the people of Orange County understand that, to help close the equity gap, governments, <br /> agencies and institutions must change policies and practices to reflect the experiences of the Indigenous <br /> Peoples of this land, and uplift the Indigenous Peoples of this nation; and <br /> WHEREAS, the idea of Indigenous Peoples' Day was proposed first in 1977 by a delegation of Indigenous <br /> Nations who came before the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in <br /> the Americas, sponsored by the United Nations; and <br /> WHEREAS, on February 4, 2002, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, located in Orange, Caswell <br /> and Alamance Counties, became the eighth state-recognized Indian tribe in North Carolina, and is one of 567 <br /> Indigenous Nations in the United States; and <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br /> henceforth shall recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day to celebrate and honor <br /> the history, legacy, heritage and activism of Indigenous Peoples that have existed here since pre-European <br /> colonialism; and <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Orange County, in concert with the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and <br /> Hillsborough, encourages elected bodies, educational institutions, businesses and organizations throughout <br /> the United States likewise to adopt and recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day; and <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Orange County, inclusive of the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and <br /> Hillsborough, joins the Tribal Council of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation in declaring that <br /> Indigenous Peoples' Day shall be an opportunity to celebrate the thriving cultures and values of Indigenous <br /> Peoples; and <br /> BE IT MOREOVER RESOLVED, that Indigenous Peoples' Day shall be used to reflect upon the struggles <br /> of all Indigenous People in this land including, those whose ancestors lived in the area now known as Orange <br /> County, and to reaffirm a commitment toward reconciliation among all Peoples, and thereby to promote the <br /> progress and advancement of civilization. <br /> Approved by the Board of County Commissioners. <br /> 16th Day of February 2016. i/�( �1�'�r , Chair <br /> ATTEST: Clerk <br /> � v <br />