Indigenous Peoples’ Day Everywhere
U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján and U.S. Representative Norma Torres (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to replace the official holiday recognized on the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The bill would also replace any mention of Columbus Day in all federal laws or regulations with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
More than a dozen states across the country have recognized this change, including New Mexico. In 2021, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. President to formally commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a federal holiday is a necessary next step to address generations of trauma and inequity.
“Federally designating Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the strength and resilience of Tribal Nations while we continue our efforts to uplift Tribal communities and support Tribal sovereignty,” said Heinrich.
Vaccines For All
Loretto Veterinary Clinic is partnering with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office & Animal Services to host a vaccination clinic for dogs & cats in Bernalillo on Saturday, October 14, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m at 370 Rotary Park Road in Bernalillo. Only certain vaccinations will be available at this cash-only clinic. Vaccines will be given on a first come, first serve basis. Email sandovalpets@sandovalcountynm.gov for more information.
Eclipse Viewing in Placitas and Rio Rancho
Placitas residents will soon witness a very rare event on October 14th, an annular, or “ring of fire,” solar eclipse will cross New Mexico with the Placitas Community Library being very close to the center of the path! The entire eclipse sequence will last nearly three hours. At maximum, the Sun will be over the Sandias and provide excellent opportunities for photographers with specialized equipment.
The Placitas Library and The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS) will have telescopes available for safe solar viewing during the eclipse, starting at 9:00 AM on October 14th. Dark glasses made especially for the event will also be available. The Library will have these glasses for you to take home during the weeks leading up to the eclipse. The event will be live streamed on Zoom, and the stream will be available for viewing on the big screen inside the Library.
An indoor exhibit showing details of how these rare eclipse events occur will be featured in the Library’s Collin Meeting Room. The total eclipse that will occur over Texas on April 8th, 2024, will be previewed, along with maps showing optimum viewing locations where day will turn to night for nearly five minutes!
If you’re in Rio Rancho and want to watch the phenomenon, the Rio Rancho Astronomical Society will open the Rainbow Park Observatory on Saturday, October 14th, for public viewing of the annular solar eclipse. The observatory, located at 301 Southern Blvd. in Rio Rancho (Behind Rainbow Pool), will open at 8:30 AM and close after the eclipse. Society members will be on hand with solar-safe telescopes available for a closer look.
The event is free and open to the public. Outdoor seating is extremely limited so bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Solar Eclipse glasses for safe viewing will be on sale for $2.00 but the supply is limited.
For more information, visit our website at rrastro.org or call (505) 430-9604.