Melrose Municipal Buildings will be Closed 10/9 in Observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day
In observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, all Melrose Municipal Buildings will be closed on Monday, October 9. All buildings will resume normal hours on Tuesday, October 10. Police and Fire Stations will remain open.
Curbside Trash and Recycling pickup will be delayed by one day. To view the 2023 Trash & Recycling Calendar for the City of Melrose, visit http://www.cityofmelrose.org/solid-waste-recycling/pages/calendars-schedules.
Four Ways to Honor Indigenous Peoples' Day
Community members are encouraged to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 9. Here are a few suggestions for everyone in the family to engage with the spirit of Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year.
1. Head to the Museum of Fine Art (MFA) or Peabody Essex Museum
Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the MFA: FREE ADMISSION
Join the museum as they celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the MFA. On October 9, the MFA is offering free admission for Massachusetts residents. Enjoy gallery tours, engaging family art-making activities, and more as the MFA recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day and honors the heritage of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples and the histories of their many nations and communities. https://mfa.org/event/open-house/indigenous-peoples-day
On Indigenous Peoples' Day, the PEM is honoring the sovereignty, resilience, and immense contributions that Native Americans have made to the world. Join the PEM for a day of programming to respectfully acknowledge and celebrate Indigenous communities. Programming will include a film screening of Native America; songs, movement, and stories; a drop-in art making, including a plant pot making activity with native plants. Learn more by visiting https://www.pem.org/events/indigenous-peoples-day-celebration
2. Acknowledge the Indigenous Lands we Live On
The National Museum of the American Indian recommends engaging in the practice of acknowledging the lands you live on and naming the Indigenous people who originally resided there.
The below land acknowledgment is a way for Melrose community members who are not of the Native community to recognize the injustice that Native Peoples have endured:
We live on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Pawtucket and the Massachusett Peoples, past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude the land and waterways, and the Native people who have stewarded this land throughout the generations.
3. Learn More Through Books, Especially Those Written By Indigenous Authors
Consider checking out a book at the Melrose Public Library, or find your book from a recommended reading list such as Boston University’s “10 Great Reads in Honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day.” Please note that the Melrose Public Library is temporarily located at the Beebe School, 263 W Foster St. Visit melrosepubliclibrary.org/ to learn more.
4. Respect the Environment
Native plants support healthy ecosystems by sustaining insects, a cornerstone of a healthy environment. The U.S. Forest Service has all sorts of resources about gardening with native species on its website Celebrating Wildflowers. Another way to respect the environment is to show gratitude for the land we live on by hosting a neighborhood cleanup.
The information in this email has been sourced from various resources including Boston University, the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, and The Smithsonian.