New Mexico’s Governor Michele Lujan Grisham started observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2019 proclaiming it an official State holiday. Today is the 4th official state holiday marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day, recognizing indigenous people as the first inhabitants of the Americas, including what became the lands of the United States of America.
This day celebrates the strength and spirit of New Mexico’s original inhabitants who continue to thrive and live in our 19 Pueblos and 1 Navajo Reservation and 2 Apache Reservations. They survived despite all the actions and atrocities that took place to assimilate them since Columbus arrived. Today, New Mexico’s culture, tradition and economy continues to benefit from their presence.
On this day, New Mexico pays tribute to their lands, their communities and culture that have made today what is known as the State of New Mexico.
As a footnote, while Indigenous Peoples’ Day remains a nonfederal holiday, it is federally recognized as a national holiday. President Biden has issued two proclamations to honor both October 10, 2022 as both Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day
Thank you for reading and/or commenting on this blog post. The story, research and images created by Emily Medvec.