{"id":141859,"date":"2025-05-09T22:56:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T03:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=141859"},"modified":"2025-05-09T22:56:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T03:56:32","slug":"montana-free-press-indigenous-peoples-day-is-now-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/05\/09\/montana-free-press-indigenous-peoples-day-is-now-the-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana Free Press: Indigenous Peoples Day is now the law"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Native<\/a>
Dancers in Montana. Photo by Nora Mabie \/ Montana Free Press<\/figcaption>\r\n
At long last, Montana to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day<\/div>\r\n
Marsha Small, Northern Cheyenne, has testified in support of the establishing the state-recognized holiday for the last six legislative sessions. Now, she can\u2019t wait to celebrate.<\/div>\r\n
Friday, May 9, 2025<\/div>\r\n
By Nora Mabie and Kaiden Forman-Webster<\/div>\r\n
Montana Free Press<\/DIV>\r\n
montanafreepress.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAfter a decade-long fight between Republican state lawmakers and members of Montana\u2019s American Indian Caucus, the state of Montana \u2014 home to 12 tribes and seven reservations \u2014 will now recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nRepublican Gov. Greg Gianforte on May 9 signed Senate Bill 224<\/a> into law, making Indigenous Peoples Day an official state holiday, alongside Columbus Day, on the second Monday in October.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nSen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula<\/a> and the bill\u2019s sponsor, said the bill\u2019s passage is \u201cgood for Montana.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cThis is about learning from one another and bringing each other together,\u201d he told Montana Free Press. \u201cIt\u2019s something we can take pride in. \u2026 We\u2019re going to have a day where we can empower our youth and future generations in a positive way.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Montana\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMontana Free Press: Indigenous Peoples Day closer to reality in Montana\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Walking up to the podium during a committee hearing at the Montana State Capitol, Marsha Small told lawmakers: \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been here forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Indianz.Com\"\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nPassing SB 224 was a top priority for Montana\u2019s American Indian Caucus<\/a>, a group of Native American lawmakers who work together to advance legislation they say is good for Indian Country. The bill\u2019s passage is the latest example of the caucus\u2019 success<\/a> this session.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nDozens of people<\/a> traveled to Helena to voice their support for the bill as it advanced through the Legislature. They argued that recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day promotes unity and encourages all Montanans to celebrate their own heritage.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nIn years past<\/a>, supporters have said that celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day honors the state\u2019s Native American population, instills pride in identity and encourages people to learn more about their neighbors.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWhile Indigenous Peoples Day is not a federal holiday, more than a dozen states and at least 200 cities \u2014 including Bozeman, Helena and Missoula \u2014 recognize the day. Former President Joe Biden in 2021 issued the first presidential proclamation<\/a> recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day. In April, however, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social<\/a> that he is \u201cbringing Columbus Day back.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nMorigeau said Trump\u2019s post made him fear his bill wouldn\u2019t be signed into law.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cI was worried,\u201d he told Montana Free Press on Friday. \u201cI prayed about it regularly. I smudged every day. And I was already gearing up to figure something out if that happened. \u2026 But we\u2019ve tried to make this a Montana day that people could feel good about and proud of. It makes me happy that [Gianforte] saw that.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n \"Marsha<\/a>

Marsha Small, co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Day Montana, poses with state Sen. Shane Morigeau, who sponsored Senate Bill 224 establishing Indigenous Peoples Day, in April. Photo provided by Marsha Small<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nNaomi Billedeaux, a Salish language instructor at Salish Kootenai College, told Montana Free Press in a recent interview that state recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day is an important step forward in dismantling stereotypes and promoting healing.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201c(It\u2019s) a continuation of respect for tribal relations and a way to create space for education from an Indigenous perspective,\u201d she said.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nJennifer Jilot, a teacher at Arlee High School, traveled to Helena with her students to testify in support of the bill at a March committee hearing<\/a>. State recognition of the holiday, she said, is \u201ca big win.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cSo often, we are ignored,\u201d she told Montana Free Press. \u201cWe\u2019re on the backburner. People don\u2019t acknowledge us or don\u2019t think we exist or don\u2019t understand our contributions. \u2026 We contributed to the world. And that needs to be taught in our schools. That needs to be recognized by our government. And I\u2019m tired of having to explain to people how we are still here.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nOlivia Adams, a senior at Arlee High School and citizen of the Blackfeet Nation, wrote her testimony on the two-hour bus ride to Helena. She urged lawmakers to recognize the holiday, saying it offers \u201ca chance to celebrate the resilience and strength of Indigenous communities.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cI was definitely nervous,\u201d Adams later told Montana Free Press. \u201cBut I knew I was doing something good for my people. I have role models in my family. My great-grandfather was Chief Earl Old Person<\/a>. He fought for our people, and I want to do that, too.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWhile the bill establishing Indigenous Peoples Day sailed through<\/a> the state Legislature this session, past attempts have been anything but smooth<\/a>. Indigenous lawmakers in Montana have proposed similar legislation for a decade with no success.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThrough the years, lawmakers have cited different reasons for their opposition to establishing the state-recognized holiday in October. Some took issue with past legislation that would have eliminated Columbus Day, arguing that Christopher Columbus is an important historical figure. Last legislative session in 2023, lawmakers criticized bill sponsor<\/a> Morigeau for speaking about the atrocities Columbus committed against Native Americans when he advocated for a similar bill.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Montana\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMontana Senate votes down adding Indigenous Peoples holiday\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Proposal would have replaced Columbus Day with a state holiday.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Montana\t\tMontana Free Press\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nMarsha Small, co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Day Montana<\/a>, said she has testified at the last six legislative sessions in support of establishing the holiday.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s been a long journey,\u201d she told Montana Free Press in a recent interview. \u201cA bumpy ride.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThrough the years, Small said she and other advocates employed different strategies when trying to convince lawmakers of the legislation\u2019s importance.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cIn the early years, it just felt like us against them,\u201d she recalled. \u201cIt was a lot of ugly words. Racism. Prejudice.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nLater, Small said supporters cited tribal sovereignty as a reason why the holiday should be state-recognized. Other testimony centered on Columbus\u2019 violence against Native Americans. Some argued the holiday encourages education and connection.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe winning strategy, she said, was one of inclusion<\/a>. Supporters this year told law makers that Indigenous Peoples Day is meant to celebrate all Montanans, no matter where they come from. Small, who can\u2019t wait to attend celebrations next October, said the holiday will bring people together.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cThis is how we heal,\u201d she added.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nNote: This story originally appeared on Montana Free Press<\/a>. It is published under a Creative Commons license<\/a>.<\/strong>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After a decade-long fight between Republican lawmakers and members of Montana\u2019s American Indian Caucus, the state of Montana will now recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[18,1,14],"tags":[75,763,603,620,249,194,6397,85,637,102],"class_list":["post-141859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-national","category-politics","tag-donald-trump","tag-greg-gianforte","tag-indigenous-peoples-day","tag-marsha-small","tag-montana","tag-montana-free-press","tag-naomi-billedeaux","tag-republicans","tag-shane-morigeau","tag-youth","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/10\/montana.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-AU3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141859"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141871,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141859\/revisions\/141871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}