MA INDIGENOUS
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
March 2020 Update
Some great news! Two of our key bills were voted favorably out of committee in February. They are Prohibiting Native Mascots in MA (S.247 /H.443) and Changing the MA Flag and Seal (S.1877/H.2776).
However, we are still waiting for the bills to get to Ways and Means or another committee so that we can provide you with action alerts about what to do and whom to lobby next. We will post an action alert here as soon as there has been some movement.
S.1811/H.2948 An Act to protect Native American Heritage also moved successfully out of committee.
Unfortunately, the Indigenous Peoples Day bill H.3665 did not move out of the committee where it was heard, despite hundreds of your letters in support, hours of testimony, and lobbying of committee members. We thank you for all that you have done, and promise that we will get a new Indigenous Peoples Day bill introduced in January of 2021.
H.444 Improving Indigenous Educational Outcomes also failed to pass out of committee.
Please stay tuned to our MA Indigenous Legislative website and facebook page MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda for updates. Thank you for all your support!
About
We are working to support legislation currently before the Massachusetts State Legislature that will benefit Indigenous Peoples.
Our current Agenda includes five bills in the 2019-2021 session that reflect some of the key concerns within Massachusetts.
Take action to support the Agenda.
From time to time, we will also ask supporters to lend a hand with other legislation in the region and nationally.
The Agenda
These are the bills we are supporting in the 2019-2020 MA legislative session
Replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate Indigenous resilience and survival. The change acknowledges the true histories of colonialism, genocide and racism that Native peoples have experienced and continue to face.
Learn more
Ensure Native American funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony held in governmental or non-profit collections are not sold for profit.
Massachusetts has kept a sword hanging over the heads of Native Americans for hundreds of years. That’s a terrible symbol for our state.
Improve educational outcomes and opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Take Action:
- Write to the Committee chairs and your district’s legislators and ask them to support all 5 bills.
- Sign up for our mailing list so that you can receive updates.
- Endorse our efforts. You can endorse as an individual with your organization listed for identification purposes, or get your organization to endorse directly.
Please print and share our flyer about the MA Indigenous Agenda.