Indigenous Peoples' Day or Columbus Day?

Indigenous Peoples' Day or Columbus Day?

• Since 1937, Columbus Day has been a federal holiday commemorating the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. However, many Americans are redefining the celebration as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 
• Columbus Day, for some, honors the achievements of European colonizers and celebrates Italian-American heritage. For others, it praises someone who stole land from Native Americans and committed crimes against them. 
• Indigenous Peoples' Day honors the histories, cultures, and perspectives of Native American communities and shines a light on the misconceptions revolving around Columbus and European colonizers.

A brief history of Columbus

• Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August 1492, sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, with the intention of a western sea route to China, India, and the islands of Asia. Instead, Columbus 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. 
• It wasn’t until Columbus’ third trip across the Atlantic did he realize he had not reached Asia. 
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a national holiday in 1937, mainly in response to lobbying from the influential Catholic fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus. 

Columbus’ controversy 

• The controversy over Columbus Day goes back to the 19th century when anti-immigrant groups rejected the holiday because of its association with Catholicism. Most recently, Native American and activist groups have protested the celebration of the colonization of the Americas, the beginnings of the transatlantic slave trade, and the deaths of millions from murder and disease.
• Europeans landing in the Americas resulted in a devastating loss of life, tradition, and land for Indigenous peoples — an estimated 95% of the Native American population was decimated. Celebrating Columbus and the European colonizers dismisses the experiences of the Indigenous communities and the ongoing effects of colonialism today. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a growing movement — Alaska, Hawaii, Oregano, Minnesota, Vermont, Maine, New Mexico, South Dakota, and at least 130 cities across the country have adopted the day. 
• Last year, President Biden became the first U.S. president to recognize the day when he issued a proclamation to observe, honor, and celebrate the contributions and resiliency of Indigenous peoples, and recognize the crimes committed against them. 
• Indigenous community advocates say the recognition of the day helps to correct the “whitewashing” of American history and the glorification of European colonizers. Native Americans have long criticized inaccuracies around the colonizers' legacy credited with the “discovery” of the Americas. 
• In 2017, 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.”

What do you think?

Should the U.S. ditch Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day? Why or why not?

—Sara E. Murphy, Josh Herman, & Jamie Epstein