Holyoke Council Votes 9-3 for Indigenous Peoples Day
The Holyoke City Council voted 9-3 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in city ordinance. Councilors Sullivan, Bacon and Graney opposed the change, which cleared the Ordinance Committee 4-1 before reaching the full council.
Select Board · Meeting of October 6, 2026
HOLYOKE — The Holyoke City Council voted 9-3 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in city ordinance. Councilors Sullivan, Bacon and Graney opposed the change, which cleared the Ordinance Committee 4-1 before reaching the full council. Councilor Anderson-Burgos told a colleague, "How in the world would you know what my people celebrate and disown?" while Councilor Purcell said Columbus "didn't discover anything.
He discovered that he was lost and starving." The council also voted 9-2 to pilot extended cannabis dispensary hours through January 31, 2027, at the request of Dazed Cannabis. Separately, the council unanimously approved a zone change at 172 Sergeant Street and heard a Public Safety Committee report finding Holyoke's license-plate camera data no longer reaches federal immigration authorities as of September 1.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,658 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of October 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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