OU President David Boren issued a statement Monday to proclaim the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples' Day at OU.
Although this proclamation has been issued, the resolution to create Indigenous Peoples' Day at the university must still take the normal course of action for a joint resolution through the OU Student Government Association, according to OU press secretary Corbin Wallace.
The resolution was passed by a majority vote through the Undergraduate Student Congress on Sept. 29. However, while it was in Congress, some of its language was amended at the meeting by Spanish international studies and world language education senior Brooke Lefler. Because of this, it must return to the Graduate Student Senate, even though it passed the resolution on Sept. 27.
The GSS will next meet Sunday, Oct. 11, the day before this year's Indigenous Peoples' Day, and are expected to once again pass the resolution, according to SGA President Alex Byron.
"The change (to the language) isn't anything substantial or consequential," Byron said.
The language was changed to better represent the need of a more welcoming environment.
A signing ceremony will take place at a currenly-unknown location on Oct. 12 to commemorate Indigenous Peoples' Day, Byron said. At the event, Byron said she, Student Congress Chair Emily Sample, and the chair of the Senate will all formally sign the resolution.
"(This is) culminating it all together to show the student body is for this movement, but also administrative support from the faculty side and David Boren's side," she said.
Boren will also make remarks regarding Indigenous Peoples' Day at the ceremony, Byron said.
"We really just want to make sure we treat (Indigenous Peoples' Day) with the official capacity and respect that we think the day deserves," Byron said.
