October 9, 2026.
Senate Resolution 900 Renews Debate Over October Holiday as Calls Grow for First Nations Day.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A U.S. Senate resolution introduced September 24, 2026, has renewed attention on the recognition of Native peoples and the possibility of establishing a federal holiday honoring their histories, sovereignty and contributions. The debate also raises a broader question: Should the observance be called Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Native American Day, or should the United States recognize it as First Nations Day?
The Sault Tribe Guardian supports the name First Nations Day, we believe it more accurately recognizes the identities, histories and sovereignty of Tribal Nations and their citizens.
Senate Resolution 900: What It Proposes.
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico introduced Senate Resolution 900 (S. Res. 900) on September 24, 2026. The resolution expresses support for designating the second Monday in October 2026 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day to celebrate and honor Native peoples and their shared history and culture.
The resolution calls for recognition of Native peoples’ contributions, encourages appropriate ceremonies and educational activities, and expresses support for designating Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a federal holiday.
The measure was referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs for consideration. As of October 8, 2026, the congressional records reviewed showed the resolution at the committee stage. Further committee action and consideration by the full Senate would be necessary for additional legislative progress.
Senator Heinrich introduced the resolution with 14 additional senators as original cosponsors:
- Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico.
- Angus King of Maine.
- Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
- Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
- Brian Schatz of Hawaii.
- Tina Smith of Minnesota.
- Ruben Gallego of Arizona.
- John Hickenlooper of Colorado.
- Tim Kaine of Virginia.
- Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
- Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
- Adam Schiff of California.
- Alex Padilla of California.
- Cory Booker of New Jersey.
On September 28, 2026, Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin was added as a cosponsor, bringing the total to 15 cosponsors in addition to Senator Heinrich.
Whether the resolution will reach the Senate floor for a vote remains uncertain. If this resolution is not supported it may be used as a gauge by scholars of both respect and support of tribal nations by other elected officials along with indicating they may lack the desire to acknowledge the true history of the U.S. First Nations Tribes and U.S. Government in 2026.
The second Monday in October remains designated as Columbus Day under federal law.
A Movement That Began Decades Ago.
The modern movement to establish an October observance recognizing Native peoples developed during the twentieth century.
In 1977, representatives attending the International NGO Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas in Geneva called for an International Day of Solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. The conference helped advance international discussion of discrimination, land rights and the treatment of Native peoples.
The movement gained momentum in the United States during the following decades.
South Dakota established Native Americans’ Day as a state legal holiday in 1990, designating the second Monday in October for the observance.
Berkeley, California, became the first U.S. city widely recognized for formally adopting the name Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1991. The City Council approved the change on October 22, 1991, and the first official observance took place in 1992.
Since then, states, cities, universities, museums and Tribal governments have adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day or similar observances on the second Monday in October, the date traditionally associated with Columbus Day.
These observances provide opportunities to recognize the continuing presence of U.S. First Nations Tribal Nations, acknowledge the harms caused by colonization, forced assimilation and the loss of Native lands, along with celebrating the survival and resilience of Native peoples.
Presidential Recognition and Federal History.
The federal government has recognized Native peoples through presidential proclamations and heritage observances for decades.
In 1976, Congress authorized President Gerald Ford to proclaim Native American Awareness Week. Subsequent administrations issued proclamations recognizing American Indian and Native American heritage observances. These earlier observances were distinct from the later presidential proclamations specifically naming Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
On October 8, 2021, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation designating October 11, 2021, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It was the first presidential proclamation specifically naming Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Biden issued similar proclamations in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Those proclamations recognized Native peoples’ resilience and contributions, acknowledged the history of policies that harmed Native communities, and emphasized Tribal sovereignty, treaty responsibilities and self-determination.
The Sault Tribe’s Recognition of the Day.
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has recognized the October observance through Tribal government action.
In June 2016, the Sault Tribe Board of Directors resolved to change the name of the national holiday observed on the second Monday in October from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
On September 19, 2022, the Board of Directors approved a resolution establishing Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an official Tribal holiday, effective October 10, 2022. Tribal government offices and health clinics will be closed for observance.
The Tribe’s announcement said the change recognized that Native peoples had occupied the Americas for millennia before Columbus arrived and affirmed the importance of respecting Native cultures, languages and traditional ways of life. The Tribe also encouraged the cities of Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace, along with other Michigan communities, to recognize the observance.
Celebrate First Nations Day. Honor our ancestors. Teach the truth. Protect our sovereignty. Ensure future generations know not only what our people endured, but also how we survived and are prospering.
