Indigenous Peoples' Day vs. Columbus Day: What's the debate?

?What exactly is Indigenous Peoples' Day?

?Is it a federal holiday?

?What happened to Columbus Day?

Here in Washington, DC and at public schools across the country (IYKYK), federal holidays are a big deal.

And for those of us who grew up in the US, Columbus Day was a sacred day "off", gifting us a beloved long weekend between the start of the school year and Thanksgiving.

But over the past few years, we've seen Columbus Day replaced with talk of another holiday: Indigenous Peoples' Day.

In honor of the confusion that can ensue from any change to the federal calendar, I'm answering the Uncomfortable Questions I've received around this new (or is it?!) holiday.

So, enjoy the 4-minute video above or skim through the key points below for the 4-1-1 on Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Columbus Day

Columbus Day has been an official federal holiday since the late 1930s. Although many of us were taught the day was established to celebrate the "founding" of America by Christopher Columbus, the actual origin of the holiday is lesser known.

In the early 1900s, it was the Italian and Italian-American communities of the US who lobbied the government to recognize Columbus Day as a federal holiday.

Here's why:

In the late 1800s, waves of immigrants from across Eastern and Western Europe were arriving in the US in search of work and other economic opportunities. One of the largest immigrant communities to form in major US cities in this period came from Italy.

At the time, Italian immigrants, alongside many other immigrant communities, experienced high levels of discrimination and exclusion. But, as their numbers and influence grew in the American economy and society, they gained more political power, and were seeking ways to generate more recognition and respect for the Italian communities across the country.

What does this have to do with Christopher Columbus?

Although he sailed for the Spanish crown, Christopher Columbus was originally from Italy. And so, in the early 1900s, the Italian community lobbied the government to recognize Columbus Day as an official federal holiday, honoring the role and influence Italians have had in US history.

The Controversy

However, much has changed in the century since this holiday came about. Among these changes are our opinions (and history lessons) around Christopher Columbus.

First, we now know that Columbus didn't actually "found" America; the land now known as the US was inhabited for centuries by Native Americans.

Second, Columbus wasn't the first non-native or European to step foot on American soil. It was other explorers in the decades after his famous 1492 voyage who were the first Europeans to reach US soil.

Third, we also recognize much more widely that Christopher Columbus -- and many of the early European visitors -- caused a lot of harm and destruction to native or indigenous communities through oppression and violence.

So, it's only natural that many Americans have been questioning why we're honoring someone for something they didn't actually do, and who was -- in reality -- associated with overwhelmingly negative impact.

Indigenous Peoples' Day

At the same time that many have been advocating that we move away from celebrating Christopher Columbus, others have been advocating that we introduce more recognition of the native populations of the US.

This advocacy isn’t new; Indigenous communities and their allies have lobbied for recognition of a Native of Indigenous Peoples' Day for nearly a century -- a day to honor the past and present role native communities have played in shaping the country.

In 2021, Biden was the first US president to issue a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples' day as the 2nd Monday in October.

Today, it’s not yet an official federal holiday, but there is legislation in Congress proposing an official replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day. In the meantime, several states and cities have moved to recognize it as a paid holiday. Below is a map of the day's status by state, compiled by the Pew Research Center :

Honoring Indigenous Peoples' Day

Because there is a huge amount of diversity among and between indigenous or native populations of the US, it's critical to recognize that the approaches to celebration can vary significantly from one community or geography to another.

Some communities honor the day with ceremonies that celebrate their native traditions with food, dance, music and other festivities. a

At the same time, many others view it as an important day of protest; the day is viewed as an opportunity to champion not only the rights and respect of Indigenous populations today, but of the many causes that have affected their communities. For this reason, we'll see many movements or gatherings around themes like environmental justice, land use, and land ownership.

For more information on Indigenous Peoples' Day and the rich diversity of native communities, the National Museum of the American Indian is a fantastic resource, as are the 3 links below.

Enjoy!

Dive Deeper:

?? READ??

What is Indigenous Peoples' Day? ?| The History Channel | ?? 4 mins

?? WATCH??

Why the US celebrates Columbus Day | Vox | ?? 5 mins

?? LISTEN??

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day? | NPR | ?? 3 mins

Melina Cordero is the Founder of Melina Cordero Consulting, where she helps organizations develop leadership and DEI strategies for the post-2020 workplace.?Read the story ?of how she leapt from commercial real estate executive to DEI innovator,?explore her services , and connect with her on?LinkedIn, where she shares the latest data, research, and ideas on the evolving world of work.

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