San Pablo becomes latest Bay Area city to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day

On Monday, San Pablo will officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day alongside Columbus Day after a unanimous vote by the City Council to rename the holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October. 

The resolution, which passed at the Sept.16 City Council meeting, was introduced by the city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging officers.

“It’s a change that includes the name of Native American people and recognizes their contributions, while being inclusive to the name histories of the day,” said Alicia Platt, San Pablo’s human resources/risk manager.  “This is something that I think the majority of city employees support.”

CC Hovie, communications director for the Association on American Indian Affairs, commended the decision, saying, “Renaming efforts, such as those in San Pablo, are crucial in challenging the dominant narratives that have long ignored or minimized the perspectives of Native Nations.”

The official renaming also reflects a broader shift across the United States, where over 100 cities and more than a dozen states have adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of or in conjunction with Columbus Day. The holiday, which was originally established in 1937, has been reexamined in response to Columbus’ role in the genocide of Indigenous populations during the first colonial contact with the Americas.

Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, though President Joe Biden also has recognized Indigenous People’s Day. In 1992, Berkeley became the first city in the U.S. to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day. Since then, cities like Seattle, Houston, and San Antonio, as well as entire states such as Alaska, Michigan, and Oregon, have embraced Indigenous Peoples’ Day, though not all have enshrined it as a legal holiday. In California, while the second Monday of October is not officially a public holiday, cities like El Cerrito, Martinez, Richmond, and now San Pablo — all located on the unceded traditional territory of the Ohlone People — have chosen to commemorate the day under its new name.

San Pablo City Hall will be closed on Monday in honor of the holiday.

“I think that this has been a simple change for the city, and the reception hasn’t been too controversial,” said San Pablo Historical and Museum Society President Janet Pottier. “I’m from the East Coast originally, and out there, Columbus Day is a big deal. Here in the West, I’m not sure people have much attachment to it, especially in San Pablo.”

This local change mirrors broader statewide actions as well. On Sept. 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed Native American Day in California, underscoring the state’s commitment to addressing the injustices suffered by Indigenous people. With the proclamation, the governor announced the signing of several bills to advance the priorities of Indigenous communities, including one which will require schools to teach about the treatment of Native Americans during the Mission and Gold Rush periods and to include the perspectives of native people.

While the change can be seen as a reflection of the city’s evolving values and its willingness to stay in line with cultural shifts, Hovie and others say more needs to be done to reconcile harmful colonial histories. 

“We must recognize that renaming alone is not enough,” Hovie said. “It is vital that these symbolic actions are supported by substantive changes in policy, education, and respect for Native Nation sovereignty. Native Nations have continually advocated for the right to tell our own stories and protect our cultural heritage, and it is our hope that these changes spark further action.”

(Top photo by Emily Evans)

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