Indigenous Peoples' Day is Oct. 9. Here are some free events in Rochester

Democrat and Chronicle Staff
Updated ·1 min read

There are a few free ways to honor Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, Oct. 9, in Rochester.

At 7 a.m. there will be a sunrise ceremony for remembrance at Cobb's Hill Reservoir. The reservoir is off of Highland Avenue in Cobb's Hill Park.

At 11 a.m. a main celebration is planned at Genesee Valley Park, 1000 East River Road. Expect music, performances, a Wampum belt display, a lacrosse demo, education tables, river dancers, the planting of a tree of peace and more.

At 6 p.m. you can join a sunset ceremony at the park.

For more information on these Indigenous Peoples' Day events in Rochester, check: indigenouspeoplesdayrocny.org or facebook.com/events/959825558454621/?ref=newsfee.

Members of the Allegany Seneca River Dancers perform a Smoke Dance for a packed house inside Lake Riley Lodge in Cobbs Hill Park, part of Rochester's First Annual Indigenous Peoples Day events Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. On display on the tables are various Wampum belts.
Members of the Allegany Seneca River Dancers perform a Smoke Dance for a packed house inside Lake Riley Lodge in Cobbs Hill Park, part of Rochester's First Annual Indigenous Peoples Day events Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. On display on the tables are various Wampum belts.

What is Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Indigenous Peoples' Day is a growing commemoration of indigenous people, history and cultures.

The holiday coincides with Columbus Day on the second Monday of October and is seen as a way of reframing how Americans see the legacy and impacts of colonialism.

Learn more: What is Indigenous Peoples' Day? Is it offensive to celebrate Columbus Day? Everything to know

In Rochester, there's an Indigenous Peoples' Day Committee, which is made up of individuals and organizations that planned this series of events together.

In June 2022, City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that officially made Indigenous People's Day an annual tradition in Rochester.

The ordinance also notes that the city of Rochester was built on land annexed from the Onondowa’ga:’ (Seneca) Nation of the Haudenosaunee.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Indigenous Peoples' Day free events in Rochester, NY