In January 2021, President Joe Biden became the first president in American history to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures,” Biden wrote a proclamation at the time. “Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society.”
Several states have chosen to ditch Columbus Day celebrations and instead honor Indigenous people. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an effort to fix a “whitewashed” American history. The Europeans have credited Columbus for discovering the “New World.”
Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day by uplifting our Native Power!
— IllumiNative (@IllumiNative) October 9, 2023
What is Native Power? It’s a tradition of excellence we all carry and have the opportunity to recognize and celebrate every day. #NativePower #IndigenousPeoplesDay #IPD2023 #CelebrateNativePower pic.twitter.com/k3EzrFSS4m
Historians conveniently chose to leave out the fact that Indigenous people had been in America for centuries since his 1492 arrival.
When Columbus landed in America, he quickly and very violently enslaved the Indigenous people, sending thousands of Taino “Indians” to Spain to be sold. Indigenous people who were not sold into slavery were forced to search for gold in mines or work on plantations.
An increasing number of U.S. states and cities have recognized Indigenous Peoples Day. It marks a pivot from a day rooted in the celebration of Christopher Columbus to one focused on the people whose lives and culture were forever changed by colonialism. https://t.co/CmN0am7kfB
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 9, 2023
Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Vermont all officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Arizona, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington D.C. have all recognized the day via a proclamation.
Today, we come together to honor Indigenous Peoples' Day.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) October 9, 2023
Today is about truth, justice, reconciliation, and friendship. Let's celebrate the vibrant cultures and traditions of our indigenous communities and recommit to learning from our past so we can create a better future. pic.twitter.com/gOAVEcRjAG
However, not all states have accepted Indigenous Peoples’ Day and it is Columbus Day that the U.S. government recognizes as a federal holiday.
“It can be a day of reflection of our history in the United States, the role Native people have played in it, the impacts that history has had on native people and communities, and also a day to gain some understanding of the diversity of Indigenous peoples,” Van Heuvelen, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe from South Dakota, told NPR.