Statement
Statement From Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on Recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day
For Immediate Release: Monday 9 October
In 2020, I, along with the County Council, announced that Montgomery County will begin recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day annually on the second Monday of October, which is historically associated with Columbus Day. We did so to honor and respect the history of the nations settled in the Potomac River Valley. Our country continues to deal with racial and social justice inequities, but recognizes that Indigenous people were the first to be forced to make great sacrifices. This should not be overlooked.
According to the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, the Accohannock Indian Nation, the Assateague Peoples Nation and the Piscataway Conoy Nation are among the groups that first called Maryland home. The Piscataway Nation grew crops, formed allies and made trade deals with neighboring groups. Its footprint stretched from the Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay, but the Piscataway Nation was forced to go to war to defend its ancestral lands. It lost its lands to European settlers when new systems of government took control during the infancy of this nation.
Today, 1.1 million people, from diverse cultures all over the world, inhabit these lands. In Montgomery County, we celebrate this diversity. But our County and our nation should never forget that we got to this point through a history of oppression, thievery and exploitation of the native and indigenous people who were here first.
There are more than 30,000 Marylanders and 6.7 million Americans with indigenous roots. Today we celebrate them and their ancestors for their resiliency, their sacrifice and their patriotism to a County, State and nation—despite being historically mistreated.
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Release ID: 23-024