COS Indigenous Peoples' Day endorsement Community Organized for Solidarity The members of Community Organized for Solidarity support the petition addressed to Select Board Chair Roy Epstein to officially change the name from “Columbus Day” to “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in the town of Belmont. On Jan. 29, members of COS discussed the following reasons why we adamantly support this change: • Celebrating Columbus Day contributes to the miseducation of the Belmont community because it ignores the genocide and enslavement of native peoples at the hands of white settlers like Christopher Columbus. • Celebrating “Indigenous Peoples” encourages the Belmont community to understand and appreciate the cultures and contributions of Native Americans to the history of the U.S. and to our region of Massachusetts.