While a great many people were focused on its vote to approve recreational marijuana in Marquette, the city commission took what some might have overlooked earlier this week when it unanimously approved a motion to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Marquette joined a handful of other Michigan municipalities including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Alpena, Detroit, East Lansing, Ferndale, Southfield and Traverse City in making the move. The motion was made by Commissioner Paul Schloegel who said he sees value in this recognition.

“We take great pride in bringing this to the Marquette community … and I think it’s something we can really hang our hat on,” Schloegel said for a Mining Journal story on the issue. He said he made the motion because he felt it was critical to recognize the importance of indigenous peoples to the Marquette area, the Upper Peninsula and the state as a whole, a conclusion we couldn’t agree with more.

The city commission’s move followed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proclamation Monday to recognize the date as Indigenous People’s Day throughout the state.

The city of Marquette does not recognize Columbus Day as a paid holiday but the state and federal governments do.

Whatever people might or might not think about Columbus Day, we believe this was an important step the city commission took. We applaud it.