Columbus Day: The Indigenous Peoples' Day

Columbus Day is a holiday widely observed throughout the Americas. It is a holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus's voyage when he landed in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. 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. His voyage was so successful that when he returned to Spain, he brought goods the Europeans had never seen. The discovery of new merchandise brought about the Age of Exploration, and in 1937, October 12 was officially named Columbus Day and nationally observed in the United States by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Although Columbus Day is the celebration between two sides of the world, merging and creating an entire empire, it is also widely looked down upon for how the merge was completed. Upon arriving in the Bahamas, the explorer and his men forced the native peoples they found into slavery. This action not only started the transatlantic slave trade but also a genocide that killed millions. Europeans also brought new diseases that they had no idea they were carrying; these diseases are but are not limited to smallpox and influenza.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today.

Many people throughout the Americas are protesting for a new holiday known as Indigenous Peoples Day. For the Native Americans, 'Indigenous Peoples Day' reimagines Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance. The idea of a day for the Native Americans started back in 1977 and now has spread to officially rename Columbus Day in South Dakota, Hawai'i, Alaska, Oregon, and many other states. Individual cities, including Denver, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, have also contributed to this movement. All these cities and states have gradually built up a resistance to Columbus Day to be changed, and slowly, they are spreading how people see this historic commemoration. They are changing the perspective, for schools to teach the story of Christopher Columbus from the European side and graze the natives' point of view when, in reality, they were the ones overthrown.

With every war, there are two sides to every battle, for each thinks they are correct. However, sometimes, the best way to look at a conflict that occurred in the past is with all the facts and not part of them. If we want to commemorate horrifying, unspeakable violence and oppression in the Americas, there is a perfect holiday: 'Indigenous People's Day.'

Today, we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ resilience and strength and the immeasurable positive impact they have made on every aspect of American society. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today.

Kal Gajraj is a Miami/Fort Lauderdale-based communications and brand strategist and has two decades of marketing and public relations experience, including B2C and B2B focuses. Kal is a certified diversity professional and human rights consultant with the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights aiming to help organizations and people leaders towards communicating inclusively, accelerating acceptance and empowering unity. Kal is also an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College's School of Global Business.