Some Cities Are Replacing ‘Columbus Day’ With ‘Indigenous People’s Day’ And People Can’t Agree On Which Is Better
Columbus Day has been one of the most controversial holidays of our time, and is it really any surprise? It celebrates the man who “discovered” America, aka the same man who cruelly abused the indigenous people of North America when he made a wrong turn on his way to India. His is a tale of ambition, perseverance, and the erasure of the suffering of minorities.
In response to the controversial day, some have argued that the holiday should be replaced by one that honors the true spirit of America: Indigenous People’s Day.
Today is #ColumbusDay in the United States, a day to recognize indigenous peoples’ role in the history of our country pic.twitter.com/RvBX9SdBjV
— Ambassador Richard Buangan (@USAmbMongolia) October 9, 2017
Some cities have actually taken the first steps toward turning this into reality, like Salt Lake City and several areas in California.
Crowd erupts in applause, cheers as #SLC @slcCouncil approves resolution to celebrate Indigenous People's Day on Columbus Day @fox13 #utpol pic.twitter.com/v0H5NuSl1q
— Lauren Steinbrecher (@LaurenSnews) October 4, 2017
Columbus Day will be replaced by Indigenous Peoples Day in Los Angeles County by 2019 https://t.co/A18boSaljK pic.twitter.com/M6WfK6DZUS
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) October 4, 2017
Berkeley, CA was the first city to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day 26 years ago.#IndigenousPeoplesDay #berkeleycawasfirst https://t.co/VPSgYmeOqB
— Gathering Tribes (@GatheringTribes) September 29, 2017
But not everyone is happy with the change, particularly Italian Americans, who take pride in the Italian explorer who “discovered” America.
https://twitter.com/APEastRegion/status/917032367453241345
https://twitter.com/ErnstWX/status/913415742875471873
POTUS #ColumbusDay proclamation: Columbus represents the rich history of important Italian American contributions to our great Nation
— Italy in US (@ItalyinUS) October 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/ErnstWX/status/916332122088136704
Others argue that Columbus’s pioneering spirit is an inspiration to all, and that he can’t be held to modern day standards.
https://twitter.com/ErnstWX/status/913514930996940807
People are "judging a 15th century explorer by 21st century standards," said Italian American leader. https://t.co/9zH3jEuY5X #ColumbusDay
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 7, 2017
Still, many refuse to celebrate the holiday due to Columbus’s cruel nature.
.@cambridgepl & @CambMA rocking the #IndigenousPeoplesDay PSA. Prepping for "#ColumbusDay" by remembering I'm a settler on FirstNations land pic.twitter.com/zjR7SN3S2f
— Nathaniel Meyer (@meyernathaniel) September 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/keslinfinity/status/917342095568003072
https://twitter.com/gabby_amatob/status/917083591904870400
https://twitter.com/projectFem4All/status/916744229833109504
Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day will undoubtedly remain one of the most controversial days for Americans, and for good reason — where some see a source of pride, others see a source of pain and misery.