Newton To Hold Special Meeting On Indigenous People's Celebration

NEWTON, MA — The Newton Parks & Recreation Commission is set to hold a special meeting on Monday, August 2 at 7 p.m. regarding a request to hold the Indigenous People's Celebration at Albermarle Field.

The event, proposed by the Indigenous Peoples Day Newton, would take place Monday, October 11, which the city formerly celebrated as Columbus Day.

Last November, the Newton City Council voted to change the name of the holiday from Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day. Other Massachusetts towns that have embraced this change in recent years include Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville and Amherst.

The name change came in light of controversy surrounding Christopher Columbus and his brutality against the indigenous people. Many who were against the change argued that Columbus Day embodies Italian-American pride.

Monday's Parks & Recreation Commission meeting will be open to public comments. To join the meeting, click here or call 1-929-205-6099 and use Meeting ID 879 7190 7377. The full agenda can be found here.