Mamdani Uses Previous Mayor's Footage for Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration

The Mamdani administration utilized previously recorded footage from former Mayor Eric Adams' staff to commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The administration did not mention Italian-American New Yorkers or Columbus Day in their observance. The footage repurposed was from a video highlighting the history of the Lenape people, which was originally created for the city's 400th anniversary celebration last year. Fabien Levy, a former deputy mayor of communications under Adams, expressed concern on social media about the use of old footage, stating it devalues the Lenape. The mayor's social media posts included messages honoring Indigenous New Yorkers and their history, but did not acknowledge Italian-Americans, some of whom were upset by the omission of the Columbus Day parade in Manhattan. Mamdani has previously expressed his opposition to Columbus, sharing a photo of himself gesturing at a statue of the explorer in a call for its removal. City Hall has not commented on the use of the recycled content.