SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Today is the 30th anniversary of Native Americans’ Day in South Dakota.
South Dakota was the first state to recognize the holiday and then came a few other states including Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.
In 1989, the South Dakota legislature unanimously passed legislation proposed by Governor George S. Mickelson to proclaim 1990 as the “Year of Reconciliation” between Native Americans and whites, to change Columbus Day to Native American Day and to make Martin Luther King’s birthday into a state holiday. Since 1990, the second Monday in October has been celebrated as Native American Day in South Dakota.
On Oct 3, 2017, The Proclamation of Native American day was announced by the Mayor of Sioux Falls. Accepting the Proclamation would be the Lakota-Dakota-Nakota representatives of Sioux Falls.
South Dakota and Vermont, which celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day, are the only states to practice non-observance of the federal holiday of Columbus Day.
Usually, a Native Americans’ Day parade takes place in Sioux Falls, but because of COVID-19, it has been cancelled this year.
