A bill that would replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day failed to move forward in the Montana state Senate. After the bill brought by Missoula Democratic Senator Shane Morigeau was tabled in committee, its supporters attempted a legislative maneuver to bring it to the Senate floor for debate, but that was also opposed. Senator Dan Salomon, a Republican from Ronan, said the bill’s sponsor killed the bill himself with his description of Christopher Columbus during committee testimony. “He starts off with, and I think I can quote, with accusing Columbus of rape, beheading, amputations, slicing torsos into sex trafficking, you can imagine where this hearing went in a hurry. I have never, in my experience, been so mad,” Salomon said. Morigeau, who is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes responded to Salomon’s criticism on the Senate floor saying he couldn’t talk about Columbus, without including that information.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Australia last week to highlight the importance of Indigenous Knowledge, collaborative conservation and international partnerships to inform the global effort to fight the climate crisis and preserve our land and marine environments for future generations. The trip showcased the interconnectedness of the Interior Department’s mission and priorities with those of our international counterparts, including the U.S. relationship with key allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Those are your headlines at this hour. I’m Colette Keith in the KIPI News center.
