On Wednesday, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed a bill that would formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday in October.
Introduced and championed by Assemblymember Shea Backus (D-37), the only sitting Indigenous legislator in the state as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Assembly Bill 144 was meant to honor and recognize the Indigenous peoples of Nevada by officially declaring the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Presently, Columbus Day, still observed by some, falls on that same day.
Gov. Lombardo explained that in order for him to sign the bill in the future, Indigenous Peoples’ Day should be observed on a separate day than the outdated Columbus Day. Currently in Nevada, the state annually celebrates Native communities on August 9.
“For the annual proclamation commemorating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, my office may well include the additional content proposed in this bill in future years. That said, it is better for Indigenous Peoples’ Day to fall on a day where there are no other holidays so it can continue to receive Nevadans’ undivided recognition,” Lombardo said in his veto of the bill.
This has upset Indigenous communities across the state with the Executive Director of Native Voters Alliance Nevada, Taylor Patterson, issuing a statement calling this veto a rejection of tru justice and history.
“By vetoing this bill, Governor Lombardo has made it painfully clear where he stands: not with Nevada’s Indigenous families, but with those who prioritize profit and power over people and truth,” Patterson said in a statement. “To Governor Lombardo: Our ancestors endured far greater challenges than a veto, and their resilience runs through us. Your actions will not erase our stories, diminish our contributions, or silence our fight. We will continue to demand the respect and recognition our communities deserve, because our resolve is unshakable, and our commitment to justice is unwavering.”
Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, also issued a statement saying Gov. Lombardo is only siding with political agendas.
“In vetoing AB144, Governor Lombardo has told us what we need to know – that he would sooner side with petty political agendas than Nevada’s Native people. This bill was never a zero sum game, and always about giving Indigenous communities the respect they have always deserved. We should remember that this year, when Nevada lawmakers stepped up and tried to solidify that recognition, it was Joe Lombardo who stood in the way.”
