WXXI News
Rochester is gearing up to celebrate its second annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Rochester City Council voted unanimously last June to establish the second Monday in October as the official day, which honors Native American history and culture. Rochester is one of about 200 cities across the nation that have renamed or replaced Columbus Day, according to renamecolumbusday.org.
Members of a local Italian heritage committee called Cugini di Roc support the change and – as they say – have been working to build up a day where Italians can celebrate their culture without centering any one person. Rochester proclaimed the first Sunday in October to be that day.
This hour, we discuss it all with our guests:
- Ronnie Pollack, co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee, and member of Missasaugua The Credit First Nation and Six Nations the Grand River
- Trish Corcoran, co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee, educator at the Harley School, and Tonawanda Onondawaga
- Joe Chaffee, member of Cugini di Roc and the Indigenous Peoples’ Day committees
- Kathy Castania, co-chair of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee and member of Cugini di Roc
