Mayo, community organizations plan special event to honor Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 9

Mayo Clinic is collaborating with the City of Rochester, Rochester Public Schools American Indian Education, and Mayo Clinic Food Service to celebrate Indigenous People's Day on Monday, Oct. 9. The commemoration celebrates the culture, traditions and contributions of Native American people.

There will be a mayoral proclamation and a lineup of Native American speakers and performers at the Peace Plaza in Rochester at noon CST.

Valerie Guimaraes, a member of the Celebrate Dakota Mayo Employee Resource Group, will provide opening remarks. There also will be a land acknowledgment ceremony led by the Celebrate Dakota MERG. After a mayoral proclamation by Mayor Kim Norton, the Battle River Drum Group will perform along to songs by the Jingle Dress Dancers. There also will be Native youth speakers at the event.

About Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous Peoples' Day, which falls on the second Monday of October, recognizes the perseverance and contributions of Indigenous people across the U.S.

There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the U.S., with dozens more state-recognized and other tribes.

While states such as South Dakota began celebrating Native Americans' Day in 1990, it was in 2021 that the day was formally recognized the day with a presidential proclamation.

Read the 2023 presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day.