Columbus Day? In More than 50 Cities, It’s Indigenous Peoples Day

While many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, it is not widely celebrated by others. But in the political, social, and racial climate of America today, we’re having a lot of conversations about our nation’s history, about our leaders, about where we are headed. Places that choose to replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day may give their own workers or schoolchildren a day off, teach in schools about Native Americans instead of Columbus, issue proclamations or mark it in other ways.

Last week, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles County made a decision to recognize Indigenous People’s Day on the second Monday of every October, rather than Columbus Day. Those who back the change speak of his mistreatment of Native Americans.

The decision was recognized as a complicated one, with many competing ideas relating to heritage and differing opinions of what Columbus Day means.

Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a national holiday in 1937.

He said that even five centuries after the voyage, “we remember the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” for building the critical first link in the strong and enduring bond between the United States and Europe”. They saw Columbus as someone to be celebrated as a symbol of their immigrant roots.

You can go on and on about how great he was or how terrible, but at the end of the day a group of people appreciate this holiday and a group dislikes it. While Leftists recently have targeted Columbus for ridicule and rejection, historians agree on his monumental impact. Munro said. “I think it’s really damaging to our children, and teaches them that indigenous people are not important”.

President Donald Trump issued the annual US proclamation for Columbus Day 2017.

“All we did was plant the seeds for this and we’ve just tended to it for over 20 years”, Curl says. “We do this because our history books erase such history”.

In August, the mayor asked people not to “pre-judge” the review, and said he understands why Italian-Americans like himself are protective over Columbus statues.

Detroit may be the next city to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day.

The date Indigenous People’s Day is held on varies slightly every year however and, in 2017, America’s states and towns face a stark choice as both holidays fall on the same day. Genocide expert David Stannard stated that beginning 1492, Columbus along with Europeans murdered between 70 million to 100 million indigenous people, Daily Kos reported.

“Columbus should not be celebrated”.

The Marist Poll conducted the survey of 1,224 adults September 11-13.