The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at USM, Peace Action Maine, The Foglight Collective, The City of Portland and thee NAACP Portland Branch will sponsor a rally and march on October 8, 2007.

The “Reclaim Columbus Day” Rally will occur at 1PM with an opening ceremony on the USM campus lawn between Luther Bonney and Payson Smith Halls.

The opening ceremony will be followed by a peaceful march to Deering Oaks Park, site of a massacre of Native Americans in 1689.

Events at Deering Oaks Park will include a performance by the Native American drumming group One Nation, along with dancing, and singing. Speakers will reflect upon Native American history and issues of human rights.

The goal of the event is to inspire people to rethink Columbus’ role in history and to work for the establishment of October 12th as Indigenous Peoples Day in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information contact Bethany Tremblay at 780-4730 or 780-5798 or e-mail bethany.tremblay [at] maine [dot] edu

— Stephanie Gharakhanian
Co-Coordinator
Peace Action Maine
(207) 772-0680