For innumerable generations, the narrative of Christopher Columbus as the audacious pioneer who uncovered the Americas has permeated the collective psyche of the United States. He became an embodiment of American virtues such as entrepreneurialship and innovation. This tale, draped in the cloak of mythology and taught to successive generations in schools, is however, not devoid of a darker shadow. For the Indigenous inhabitants who populated these lands long before Columbus set foot, the explorer and the holiday named in his honor epitomize a more grim reality: the harsh colonization of their land and heinous subjugation of their people.
Efforts to supplant Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day have been brewing over decades. Due in part to the spirited advocacy from Native American activists, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is now commemorated by several states and local authorities on the second Monday of October concurrently with, or as a replacement for, Columbus Day. In a historic move in 2021, President Joe Biden became the inaugural president to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
David Weeden, tribal historic preservation officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, regards this acknowledgement as long overdue. He mused that in spite of enduring systemic oppression and making numerous sacrifices, the sheer fact that the indigenous population continues to thrive is in itself astonishing.
To comprehend Indigenous Peoples’ Day, it is crucial to trace the origins of Columbus Day. Celebrations in Columbus’s honor unofficially commenced towards the close of the 18th century. In 1892, to honor the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s landing, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation. As waves of Italian immigrants grappled with bias and discrimination upon reaching American soil, a coterie of Italian American elites lobbied for establishment of Columbus Day, proclaiming that the contributions of Italian immigrants significantly helped to shape America. Consequently, in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Columbus Day a national holiday.
However, over time, Native Americans began to question the narrative behind Columbus Day. Emboldened by the Civil Rights Movement, Native American activists launched the Red Power Movement in the late 1960s on a platform of self-determination and cultural pride. At a United Nations conference in 1977, Indigenous representatives worldwide agreed to earmark October 12, the day of the so-called ‘discovery’ of America, as an International Day of Solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.
The State of South Dakota was the first to recognize (under the moniker of Native American Day) this day in 1990, and the city of Berkeley, California followed suit in 1992. The day now finds recognition across significant parts of the U.S., with numerous states and more than 130 cities observing the holiday.
Echoing the spirit of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Weeden emphasized the enormity of their enduring struggle and the daunting challenges that lie ahead. For others like Kitcki Carroll, an executive director and an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the day provides a compelling platform to narrate a different, often obscured, story of the United States.
Sadly, Native Americans often find themselves erased from the nation’s historical narrative. However, despite these systemic oversights, Native Americans continue to make their seminal contributions to the country’s tapestry. A striking example of this is their rich influence on the lands and natural resources that were expropriated from them, essential to the building of America, Carroll articulated.
Some view Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an occasion to wrestle back power and rejoice in the progress. Crystal Echo Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and CEO of social justice organization IllumiNative, emphasized the advances Indigenous populations have had in recent years. She further asserted that the holiday serves as a reminder of the considerable work done to secure recognition and visibility.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day presents an opportunity for the community to commemorate its rich history and culture and also to underscore various present-day concerns, such as climate change, tribal sovereignty, and land rights. Carroll expressed optimism over the initiatives of the Biden administration towards honoring its obligations to Tribal Nations. With the appointment of Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary, these efforts have garnered further impetus.
Weeden expressed his hope that Indigenous Peoples’ Day might initiate conversations on reparations and steps towards better equipping tribal nations to be more self-sufficient. “We deserve a right to remain in our ancestral homes,” he said. “We deserve to be able to eat from the waters and the lands that have sustained us for thousands of years.”
