Submitted by San Juan County.

The San Juan County administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Oct. 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.

On Aug. 22, the County Council ratified a change to the Union contract to add Indigenous People’s Day as a County holiday to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. On September 26, the Council is holding a public hearing to extend this holiday to all County employees. On Monday, October 9, San Juan County will join other federal, state, and local governments and organizations in observing this important holiday.

While the County’s administrative offices are closed, the County’s Courts will remain open. Superior Court, District Court, and the County Clerk are still required by law to be open on Indigenous Peoples’ Day because it is not yet a State-recognized holiday.

The celebrating of an 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. The year 2023 is the first year the holiday is recognized in San Juan County.