On March 17, 2016, the Student Assembly unanimously adopted S.A. Resolution #46: Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This resolution sought to amend the Cornell Academic Calendar to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday of October. This is the day nationally recognized as Columbus Day, but Cornell has not referred to it as such since 2009. This resolution does not require Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be a university holiday. It simply says that the name Indigenous Peoples’ Day be placed on the official academic calendar. The text below is directly taken from S.A. Resolution #46.

Whereas a promotion of Indigenous Peoples is a logical step forward in strengthening Cornell’s commitment to campus-wide diversity and inclusion;

Whereas institutional recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day at Cornell University will give a stronger voice to Indigenous Peoples, acknowledge the local Indigenous communities in and around the Ithaca area, and celebrate the contributions of American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians to the United States of America;

Be it therefore resolved that the Faculty Senate, in concurrence with the Student Assembly, recommends that the Provost amends Cornell University’s Academic Calendar to annually recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday of October.

Sponsored by the University Faculty Committee