Boston Mayor Signs Order Making Indigenous Peoples Day Official Each October

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston officially establishes Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday of October. The mayor signed an executive order at a ceremony Tuesday attended by representatives of the Massachusetts Tribe at Pokanoket, the North American Indian Center of Boston, United American Indians of New England, and the United Confederation of Taino People, making Boston one of more than two dozen Massachusetts municipalities to make the designation. The first observance under the order was set for October 11, 2021. Responding to a press question about Italian Americans, who have historically observed Columbus Day on the same date, the mayor said "justice is not a zero-sum game" and noted she had personally reached out to leaders in Boston's North End community before signing. No public hearing was required for the executive order.