WHEREAS, the people of Hillsborough of the State of North Carolina recognize that nations of Indigenous Peoples have lived upon this land known as the Americas since time immemorial; and

WHEREAS, Hillsborough acknowledges that the annexation of the homelands of Indigenous Peoples occurred over the centuries for the establishment and development of the town; and

WHEREAS, Hillsborough values the contributions made to the progress of society accomplished through the knowledge, labor, technology, philosophy, arts and culture of Indigenous Peoples; and

WHEREAS, the people of Hillsborough understand that, to help close the equity and opportunity gap, governments, agencies and institutions must change policies and practices to reflect the experiences of the Indigenous Peoples of this land, and uplift the Indigenous roots of this nation; and

WHEREAS, the idea of Indigenous Peoples Day was proposed first in 1977 by a delegation of Indigenous Nations who came before the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, sponsored by the United Nations; and

WHEREAS, on February 4, 2002, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, located in Orange and Alamance Counties, became the eighth state recognized Indian tribe in North Carolina, and is one of 556 Indigenous Nations in the United States; and

WHEREAS, in 1990, representatives from 120 Indigenous Nations, at the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance, unanimously passed a resolution to transform Columbus Day into an occasion to strengthen the process of continental unity and struggle towards liberation, and thereby to use the occasion to reveal a more accurate historical record;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town of Hillsborough Board of Commissioners henceforth shall recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate and honor the history, legacy, heritage and activism of Indigenous Peoples that have existed here since pre-European colonialism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Hillsborough joins the Tribal Council of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation in declaring that Indigenous Peoples Day shall be an opportunity to celebrate the thriving cultures and values of Indigenous Peoples; and

BE IT MOREOVER RESOLVED, that Indigenous Peoples Day shall be used to reflect upon the struggles of Indigenous People in this land and elsewhere, to reaffirm a commitment toward reconciliation among all Peoples.

Passed by the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners

14th Day of December 2015 

Tom Stevens, Mayor