HOGANSBURG -- Salmon River Central School District’s Board of Education approved a proposal on Tuesday to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, according to news release form St. Lawrence-Lewis County BOCES.

In June, Superintendent Stanley Harper submitted an official request to the BOE to change the name of the holiday. According to Dr. Harper, “Christopher Columbus’s historical mistreatment of Native people makes him unworthy of celebration. Rather, I propose the holiday be designated as a celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ cultural heritage.”

At the Aug. 9 board meeting, the Title VII Mohawk Club students delivered a compelling presentation titled, “Changing the Name: Honoring a People- Indigenous People’s Day.”

The presentation cited the District’s 65 percent Native American student population, which is the highest in the state, according to the release.

For more information visit http://www.srk12.org.