Though people have celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Montana for years, Monday marks the first time the state has officially commemorated the day as a legal holiday.

After a group of state lawmakers and advocates spent a decade urging recognition of the holiday, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 224 into law this spring, establishing Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an official state holiday alongside Columbus Day.

“I’m really excited,” said Marsha Small, cofounder of the advocacy group Indigenous Peoples Day Montana. She and other supporters of SB 224 told state lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session that Indigenous Peoples’ Day is about celebrating ancestry.

“This isn’t a political stunt,” she said. “I want people to look out their door and recognize their neighbo

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