We at Chicken-Fried News think Norman is pretty awesome.
For one, it’s a college town, so there’s an ample supply of great bars and restaurants.
Two, it’s home to cool museums like Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Sam Noble Museum and National Weather Museum and Science Center.
Three, the city’s tagline is “Building an Inclusive Community.” In other words, Norman values diversity and promotes equal treatment and opportunity.
On Aug. 22, Norman City Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution declaring the second Monday in October to be Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the city.
You might recall from your elementary school days that since 1971, the federal government has recognized Columbus Day on the second Monday in October. The day signifies Christopher Columbus’ arrival in America.
According to NewsOK.com, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an alternative to Columbus Day. It honors the culture of Native Americans who lived in North America before Columbus or other European settlers.
“The [vote] in Norman not only recognizes the history of indigenous people but also raises the viability of our community and current issues,” Summer Wesley, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, told NewsOK.com. “This is part of a larger national movement and it also demonstrated the importance of this to other cities.”
Norman joined other Oklahoma cities Anadarko and Tahlequah in recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. For the past two years, citizens have approached the Oklahoma City Council about supporting it. A resolution has failed to pass the nine-member council despite support from a few council members.
After the Norman vote, Norman Councilwoman Breea Clark tweeted, “Norman City Council just recognized the 2nd Monday of Oklahoma as Indigenous Peoples’ Day! What about you, @cityofokc?”
Two days later, Live Indigenous OK, a Facebook group, wrote on the social media platform, “It’s time, City of Oklahoma City - Government.”
Might this be the year that the OKC Council supports a resolution in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday in October? Chicken-Fried News has no insider knowledge; however, we know Norman is keeping things cool.
