Your Turn: Is It Time to Ditch Columbus Day?

• Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1937, but a growing number of cities across the U.S. are reconceiving it as Indigenous People Day.
• For some, the original holiday honors Columbus’ achievements and celebrates Italian-American heritage.
• For others, it unduly vaunts someone who didn’t even discover America, and overlooks the widespread suffering of those already here at the hands of European colonizers.

A brief history

Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August 1492, bound for Asia with backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Columbus intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Instead, on October 12, he landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings established colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10th century.

Columbus crossed the Atlantic several more times in his life, but it wasn’t until his third trip that he realized he hadn’t reached Asia.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a national holiday, largely in response to intense lobbying from the Knights of Columbus, an influential Catholic fraternal organization.

Controversy

Controversy over Columbus Day dates back to the 19th century, when anti-immigrant groups rejected the holiday because of its association with Catholicism.

More recently, Native Americans and other groups have protested the celebration of an event that led to the colonization of the Americas, the beginnings of the transatlantic slave trade, and the deaths of millions from murder and disease.

Indigenous Peoples Day

Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Minnesota, Vermont, and South Dakota have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, as have the cities of Denver, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Last year, the Navajo Nation declared the second Monday of October to be Indigenous Peoples Day. In its proclamation, the Navajo Nation said:

“Indigenous Peoples Day shall be an opportunity to celebrate the thriving cultures and positive values of Indigenous Peoples, and shall further be observed to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples.”

The city of Columbus, Ohio, will not observe the federal holiday honoring its namesake this year, although its mayor says the decision was not related to the Indigenous Peoples Day movement. Rather, he said it was because the city lacks funding to give its employees the day off.

As the federal government marks Columbus Day, President Donald Trump’s proclamation for the second year in a row doesn’t mention the holiday’s painful legacy for Native Americans. Trump’s statement praised Columbus’ “daring journey”:

“On Columbus Day, we commemorate the achievements of this skilled Italian explorer and recognize his courage, will power, and ambition — all values we cherish as Americans.”

What do you think?

Should the U.S. ditch Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day? Why or why not? Tell your reps what you think, then share your thoughts below.

—Sara E. Murphy

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / THEPALMER)