Tension as Seattle indigenous vote delayed

SEATTLE (AP) – The tension at a Seattle City Council hearing about an indigenous day resolution was not about passing the measure, but rather when to sign it.

As the city council prepared to approve the resolution that declares the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day, Mayor Ed Murray asked the council to delay the vote so he could officially sign the resolution on October 13.

But councilmember Kshama Sawant and some of the Native American advocates at City Hall expecting to witness the passage opposed the delay, saying they didn't see a reason to postpone.

Eventually, Murray addressed the group to explain his reasoning. The mayor said that if the resolution was approved Tuesday, he'd have to sign it well before the first Indigenous Peoples' Day. Councilman Bruce Harrell says delaying the vote will give the resolution more attention.

In the end, voting on the measure was delayed. Passage of the resolution would not create a new holiday, as Columbus Day is not recognized in Seattle.