Phoenix has declared the second Monday of October an annual city holiday in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. 

“Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates the history and culture of indigenous American peoples, recognizing the losses they experienced and honoring the contributions they continue to make in our society,” a release stated following a Phoenix City Council vote.

As part of the resolution approved by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the council, Indigenous Peoples' Day will become a paid city holiday beginning this year.

City offices will be closed for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, Oct. 9. Services available that day will follow a similar pattern to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day or Cesar Chavez Day, according to the release.

Held on the same day as the U.S. federal holiday of Columbus Day, the history of Indigenous Peoples' Day goes back to 1977, the release stated.

That year, the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas began conversations of replacing Columbus Day in the Americas.

In 1992, the City Council of Berkeley instituted Indigenous Peoples' Day, and since then, other cities and states have followed suit. In 2021, President Joe Biden formally commemorated the holiday with a proclamation.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org