Six municipalities across Massachusetts observed Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day on Monday.
According to The Boston Globe, those municipalities were Amherst, Northampton, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville and Great Barrington.
The second Monday of October has been observed as Columbus Day since it became a federal holiday in 1937. But some cities and states have begun observing Indigenous Peoples' Day over concerns Columbus helped launched centuries of genocide against indigenous populations.
Amherst and Northampton began officially observing Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2016. Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville later made the switch. Great Barrington made the change official last month.
On Monday, Maine officially observed Indigenous Peoples' Day for the first time, joining Vermont, New Mexico, Alaska, Minnesota, Oregon, Hawaii and South Dakota as states with similar laws.
