Press Release:
Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) will be closed on Monday, October 9 in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This holiday is celebrated on the second Monday of October to honor Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures.
Monday, October 11, 2021 marked what many consider as a major milestone in New York State’s History. For the first time ever, this date was recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day by Governor Kathy Hochul by issuing a Proclamation recognizing the Indigenous Peoples's sovereignty and place in history.
Independent Living of the Genesee Region believes that this is an important step to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. We celebrate the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples as we seek to build trust and goodwill.
The celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day took root at an international conference on discrimination sponsored by the United Nations in 1977. In 2021, President Biden was the first U.S. President to formally recognize the day as a national holiday.
Historically, the day is known as Columbus Day, but in recent years the explorer’s legacy is now considered controversial and is questioned due to the atrocities committed against the Indigenous Peoples. President Biden’s Proclamation makes reference to this.
“Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people — a promise that, despite the extraordinary progress we have made through the years, we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before the colonization of the Americas began.”
Let the process of healing and belonging continue by our celebration of the tremendous contributions of the Indigenous People who originally inhabited our diverse nation before it was established and declared the United States of America.
Independent Living of the Genesee Region is a member of the Western New York Independent Living, Inc. family of agencies that offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.
