In October of 2022 the City of Coos Bay City Council passed a proclamation to recognize the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day and establish a policy of flying the flags of each of the three tribal nations that are part of the greater Coos Bay Community: Coquille Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, and the Confederated Tribe of the Siletz Indians.  Each year City Council renews this intention through approving of a proclamation.

If it pleases Council, approve the proclamation designating October 12, 2026 as Indigenous Peoples Day.

Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas. Historically, the second month in October has been recognized as Columbus Day in commemoration of the explorative voyages to the New World completed by Christopher Columbus. Though this Columbus Day national holiday has been celebrated since 1937, interest has grown over the last decades to fairly recognize these 'new world' lands had been inhabited by Indigenous people since time immemorial. Coupled with the many contributions made by generations of Indigenous people, movement towards acknowledgment of the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day appropriately celebrates these great nations.

Within the surrounding Coos Bay community, three tribal nations have called this area home, making this area rich with deep cultural traditions, as well as the impact these tribal nations have had through sharing of their knowledge, technology, labor, science, philosophy, art and heritage. These same tribal nations have also provided financial support through their generosity of community programs, further establishing the necessity to acknowledge and celebrate the Indigenous peoples impact in our community.

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