California IN BRIEF : BERKELEY : Indigenous Peoples Day Earns Thanks

The City Council has been honored by American Indians for changing Columbus Day to “Indigenous Peoples Day.” Dennis Banks, a founder of the American Indian Movement, and Floyd Westerman also thanked Mayor Loni Hancock. Westerman, a songwriter, appeared in the movie “Dances With Wolves.” “We think the mayor and the City Council here took a courageous stand when they acknowledged the Indian point of view, which is that we feel lucky to have survived these 500 years since Columbus,” Westerman said. “It’s nice to get just one day out of 500 years of days,” Banks said. “It’s a small but important step, and I applaud the whole City Council.”