Public comments focus board attention on Indigenous People’s Day

Most of the people filling the commissioner’s room for a special meeting of the Cook County board Tuesday were not there for either of the two items on the agenda.

Instead, they were there to register concern over the board’s failure to act on a resolution presented at the previous meeting which would have designated the second Tuesday of October as Indigenous People’s Day.

Six county residents each used their portion of the 15-minute public comment period to encourage the commissioners to reconsider their 3 to 2 rejection of the resolution offered by Commissioner Frank Moe and supported at last week’s meeting by a delegation of nine ISD166 students from Grand Portage.

David Liechty, Social Science instructor at Cook County High School, was obviously hampered by the two-minute time limitation, but he did invite the commissioners to join his classes this week as the students consider the historically correct version of the 1492 event.

Reading a statement to the board, former county commissioner Sue Hakes said: “…Before you is an extraordinary opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of all people in Cook County now and forever…  don’t miss it – don’t come down on the wrong side of history. Be courageous – do the right thing. Vote to pass the resolution brought forth by Commissioner Moe and the students of Grand Portage.”

While no action could be taken at this time, the commissioners further discussed the resolution during the “commissioner concerns” portion of their agenda.

Following the lead of the ISD166 School Board, the mayor of Grand Marais is introducing a proclamation for consideration at next Wednesday’s council meeting which will designate October 12 as Indigenous Peoples Day in Grand Marais.

Furthermore, the Grand Portage Tribal Council has adopted a similar resolution and is now asking that the county board do likewise. As Commissioner Moe sees it: “We have a very simple request before us by the Grand Portage Tribal Council to pass a very simple resolution. There’s two “where as”, one “therefore be it resolved” – not complicated. It’s simple. Either we support this or we don’t.”

The board agreed every effort would be made to reach a decision supported by all commissioners and Moe called for a special meeting to be held Monday, October 12, now set for 2 p.m. At that time he will ask for the resolution to be adopted. Failing that, he said, it would be on the agenda for the October 13 regular board meeting.

In the scheduled business on the special meeting agenda, the board did authorize budgetary expenditure and execution of an agreement for the temporary position of licensing worker within the department of Public Health and Human Services.

They also authorized County Attorney Molly Hicken to sign the 2016 Grant Agreement with the Office of Justice Programs, MN Department of Public Safety. The grant funds attached to this agreement for victim services constitute a 50% increase from the prior year’s funding.