Governor Newsom proclaims Indigenous Peoples’ Day

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring October 13, 2025, as "Indigenous Peoples' Day."

The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

PROCLAMATION

California again proclaims this day as Indigenous Peoples' Day, the seventh formal celebration of the strength of culture and the memory of land that endure for all Indigenous people who now call California home, from those who originate from and maintain deep relationships with these lands and waters, to those who have carried the gifts of their languages, cultures, foods, and families across oceans, borders, and generations.

This Indigenous Peoples' Day, we celebrate those people and acts that exemplify the grit, adaptability, and generosity of spirit that are the most American of values.

We celebrate the Taíno people, past, present, and their descendants-the citizens of the United States Virgin Islands and Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico who first encountered ships from the east and whose survivance shines as an example of Indigenous peoples' enduring determination to thrive in the lands and waters of their ancestors.

We celebrate the acts of bravery, kindness, and solidarity of Indigenous peoples that arise from a legacy of survivance and adaptation to meet the challenges of an increasingly challenging world. The generous gift of the Choctaw to those suffering in hÉireann through An Gorta Mór; the Native American, First Nations, and Māori soldiers who fought for the rights and liberation of Italians during World War II; this year's historic designation as the Año de la Mujer Indígena by the Estados Unidos Mexicanos and the focus on Indigenous peoples as guardians of biodiversity promised at this year's Convening of Parties in Amazônia-these acts underscore our common humanity, values, and acknowledgment of the deep connections we all maintain with people and places that make us who we are.

Today, Indigenous people from across the state welcomed the sunrise in the Ohlone homelands of Alcatraz, a national park cared for by Californians in the vacuum of a federal shutdown. Next year, in celebration of the very American sport of football, Ohlone homelands will host the very American icon, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio-who proudly embodies the survivance, resilience, and excellence of the people of the Puerto Rico despite waves of colonial violence.

On this Indigenous Peoples' Day, we resoundingly cheer the indomitable fortitude, cultural vibrance, and adaptability of Indigenous peoples from across the globe who call this place home, even as their souls resonate with lands and waters of their ancestral homelands.

NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim October 13, 2025 as "Indigenous Peoples' Day."

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 13th day of October 2025.

GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor of California

ATTEST:
SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
Secretary of State