Is it ‘Columbus Day’ or ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day?’ The answer is actually both
Every year on the second Monday of October, many Americans have traditionally commemorated Columbus Day. However, there has been a recent push to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a replacement.
The former recognizes Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas more than five centuries ago. The other commemorates the contributions of American Indians in the United States.
A debate has commenced determining which holiday should be truly represented.
The answer is both.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day doesn’t replace Columbus Day
Many believe that Indigenous Peoples’ Day has replaced Columbus Day. And while USA Today reported the holiday was created in the late 1970s, the only entity that can officially declare a replacement is the United States government.
It would take a move from the President or an act of Congress to dethrone Columbus Day.
How did we get here?
The International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas began discussing replacing Columbus Day in the Americas with “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in 1977. However, the holiday was only just formally recognized by a sitting U.S. President for the first time in 2021.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day has since been declared a national holiday but is not federally observed.
That’s not to say replacements haven’t taken place at the state or municipal level. According to USA Today, more than a dozen states and about 130 local governments have chosen to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in lieu of Columbus Day. North Carolina is among 11 states that celebrate both.
Stance plays role in holiday debate
Many of those who recognize Columbus Day consider the holiday a celebration of Italian American heritage. This opinion is based on Columbus’ origin as an Italian explorer.
On the other hand, allies of the indigenous population say the celebration of Columbus overshadows a history of violence and colonization that impacted American Indians.
Last year, President Biden became the first ever president to proclaim the commemoration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. He also addressed both sides of the issue in a 2021 proclamation of Columbus Day.
“Today, millions of Italian Americans continue to enrich our country’s traditions and culture and make lasting contributions to our Nation — they are educators, health-care workers, scientists, first responders, military service members, and public servants, among so many other vital roles,” Biden said in a statement.
“Today, we also acknowledge the painful history of wrongs and atrocities that many European explorers inflicted on tribal nations and Indigenous communities,” Biden said. “It is a measure of our greatness as a nation that we do not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past — that we face them honestly, we bring them to the light, and we do all we can to address them.”
This year, Biden once again proclaimed that both holidays be recognized and celebrated.
