The Philomath City Council proclaimed Monday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the city, adopting the resolution during its evening meeting.
“The inclusivity committee looked this over, and I think it just didn’t make the journey from the Inclusivity Committee to the city council agenda, but it’s here now, better late than never,” Mayor Christopher McMorran said.
The resolution notes that Philomath was founded on the lands and waters of the Marys River Band of the Kalapuya, whose descendants include citizens of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. It recognizes the city’s past, ongoing and future partnerships with both tribes.
Councilor Jessica Andrade, who serves on the Inclusivity Committee, said the committee added a clause recognizing tribal contributions to the community at the suggestion of local resident Eric Niemann.
That clause states that the Siletz Charitable Contribution Fund and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund have awarded grants to a number of Philomath-area nonprofit organizations over the years.
The resolution also highlights the Philomath School District’s incorporation of tribal history and culture into its educational programs in partnership with the Siletz tribe. It also notes that both tribes have given official tribal flags to the city.
The document traces Indigenous Peoples’ Day to a 1977 proposal by a delegation of Native nations at a United Nations-sponsored conference on discrimination against Indigenous populations in the Americas. It also expresses the city’s support for the principles of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which the United States endorsed on Dec. 16, 2010.
“Be it further resolved that the Council encourages all residents to learn more about the history of the Tribes and Indigenous Peoples that traditionally cared for these lands,” the resolution concludes.
Andrade moved to adopt the resolution and McMorran seconded the motion. There was no discussion before the vote.
Councilor Spencer Irwin volunteered to read the proclamation aloud following its approval.
