SALT LAKE CITY — An Indigenous Peoples Day event is being held Monday evening in Salt Lake City.
The Utah League of Native American Voters and Restoring Ancestral Winds are hosting the vigil, which is at 6 p.m. at 900 South and 300 West, outside the building with murals of several people killed by police in Utah and across the country.
The event's goal is "to honor healing from violence." They aim to raise awareness about domestic violence in Indigenous communities and to express solidarity with the Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) community.
Attendees are asked to wear red to honor the victims of domestic violence.
There will be Indigenous drum groups and performances. A poster promoting the event also says there will be "Navajo tea" and "blue corn mush." Donations are being accepted via Paypal and on Venmo to username @denaeshanidiin.
Face masks and social distancing will be required at the event.
While the second Monday in October is traditionally when Columbus Day is observed, many communities have opted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead.
In 2016, the Utah State Senate defeated a bill that would have renamed Columbus Day as “Indigenous Peoples Day.”
Salt Lake City officially recognized the day in 2017 — recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day on the same day as Columbus Day, not replacing it.
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