Nationally, Indigenous Peoples Days acknowledges Native American tribes and communities across the U.S. on the second Monday in October. Yet in Nevada, the day is observed on August 9.
A bill in the State Legislature would have brought Nevada's Indigenous Peoples Day in line with the national observance. The bill passed in both the Assembly and Senate with Republican opposition. Once it reached Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's desk, he vetoed it.
Assemblymember Shea Backus, the only Indigenous sitting lawmaker in the state, sponsored the bill. Backus feared it would be vetoed because of the current anti-DEI movement, led by President Donald Trump.
"I think if you look at any bills that raise awareness to diversity and inclusion, the federal government has really torn that apart," Backus said. "I think it's a federal thing that our current president is just attacking people of diverse backgrounds."
The governor also vetoed several other bills proposing official state days to acknowledge specific cultures or groups of people.
"For the annual proclamation commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day, my office may well include the additional content proposed in this bill in future years," Lombardo wrote in his veto message. "That said, it is better for Indigenous Peoples Day to fall on a day where there are no other holidays so it can continue to receive Nevadans' undivided recognition."
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