On Wednesday morning, Durham’s three-person human rights commission will discuss establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day. Town administrator Todd Selig says the idea came about as the town grappled with pushback over a mural at the local post office.
That mural includes a depiction of local settlers and a Native American in colonial Durham. The US Post Office refused to remove the mural.
“Establishing Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Durham could be a way to bring kids to the post office to talk about that panel,” Selig said, “and better understand what led to the disagreements and disputes between settlers and Native Americans in Durham.”
Selig said the Human Rights Commission, of which he is a member, decided not to replace Columbus Day with the new holiday, but suggests celebrating both separately. That’s against a recommendation from the New Hampshire commission on Native American Affairs.
