Great Barrington to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day

The town last week became the sixth in the state to officially replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, celebrated on the second Monday of every October.

On Sept. 23, Select Board members signed a proclamation that made the change, and will, in future, coincide with events and celebrations to honor the indigenous people of the Berkshires and in the U.S.

“This just felt like another way that we can push for social equality,” board member Kate Burke said Wednesday, noting that the town has passed several initiatives already that encourage an inclusive stance.

One of those is the creation of W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, which drafted the proclamation. Committee Co-Chairs Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant and Randy Weinstein brought it to board members, who signed it after a presentation about the importance of the consciousness shift and a true understanding of American history.

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