Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA (CNS) - The Black Eyed Peas will perform today at the grand finale concert for the first celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day in Los Angeles.

The Black Eyed Peas will join the Native American rock group Redbone as the headlining acts of the concert, which is scheduled to take place in Grand Park on Oct. 8.

"Our people finally have space to honor our ancestors and celebrate our heritage," said Jamie Luis Gomez, who goes by the stage name Taboo with the Black Eyed Peas and is of Shoshone and Hopi heritage. "It's an honor to lend the group's support of this historic occasion for Los Angeles, and I want to thank Pat Vegas of Redbone for the opportunity to collaborate on the event."

INTERVIEW: Watch Taboo from Black Eyes Peas and councilman Mitch O'Farrell talk about Indigenous People's Day on Good Day LA

The Los Angeles City Council voted last year to eliminate Columbus Day as an official city holiday and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October.

"The addition of the Black Eyed Peas will help amplify the message to other municipalities across the country that replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day is essential if we are to ever eliminate the false narrative that Christopher Columbus discovered America," said O'Farrell, a member of the Wyandotte Nation who led the effort on the City Council to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.

"I am grateful for the partnerships, as well as the opportunity to unite Angelenos and possibly take this movement to the next level by inspiring an entire country to effect change in their communities," he said.

The inaugural holiday will feature a number of events in downtown's Civic Center, including a sunrise ceremony, 5K run, parade of nations, Native American powwow, panel sessions, a fashion show and live music.

The event is being billed as one of the largest Indigenous Peoples Day events in the country.

"This event will celebrate unity and love within our community of Los Angeles and I can't wait to share this message alongside the Black Eyed Peas," said Pat Vegas of Redbone, who will be joined on stage by his son PJ Vegas. "We can't wait to keep the message of `love and music' alive on stage
on Oct. 8."