MADISON, Wis. — Dane County employees will now get the second Monday in October as a paid day off after the county board approved adding Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an official county holiday.
The recently-approved resolution also codifies Juneteenth (June 19) as an official county holiday. County offices will be closed on both days as a result of the updated ordinance.
County employees will be encouraged to use the day off on Indigenous Peoples’ Day to “celebrate and recognize indigenous people and work to make the planet a more welcoming place,” according to Dane Co. Board Supervisor Rick Rose.
“I’m glad that in 2024 we are doing more here in the first county in our state to make the day an official holiday. We are recognizing that we live on original Ho-Chunk land and their history and heritage is a vital part of Dane County life,” Rose said in a statement announcing the passage of the ordinance.
Current-day Dane County sits on land that belonged to the Ho-Chunk, Sauk, and Kickapoo nations. There are 11 federally-recognized tribes in Wisconsin.