October 9, 2026 By Carol Britton Meyer
The select board this week declared Monday, Oct. 12, Indigenous People’s Day in Hingham, reading a lengthy proclamation honoring “America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today. We encourage everyone to celebrate and recognize the many Indigenous communities and cultures that make up our great country.”
The proclamation honors the fact that since time immemorial, “American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians have built vibrant and diverse cultures — safeguarding land, language, spirit, knowledge, and tradition across the generations.
“On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.” (See attachment to read the entire proclamation).
Prior to that reading, Chair Liz Klein read a “Hingham Select Board Land Acknowledgement” as she called the meeting to order, acknowledging that “we do this important work on the ancestral homeland of the Neponset Band of the Massachusett Tribe.
“We strive to build a mutually rewarding relationship between the Town and the Massachusett people who continue to live and work nearby. We seek to learn about our collective history and use this knowledge to prevent future injustice toward any other people.”
Stephen Leary, chair of the Hingham Human Rights Commission, thanked the board for reading the land acknowledgement, which he said was developed in conjunction with the Commission and the Neponset Band of the Massachusett Tribe.
“Those were the indigenous people who were present when this area was colonized early on,” he said, also expressing appreciation for the reading of the proclamation. “This is part of the work we have been doing to have people recognized here in town.”
Klein also noted that National Native American Heritage Month is in November.
This is a time “to celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American and Alaska Native communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation,” according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs website. “This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation. We celebrate Indian Country with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation.”
