Indigenous Peoples Day, observed on the second Monday in October, celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. The holiday also recognizes the lasting effects of colonization and challenges traditional celebrations of Christopher Columbus. It has gained more traction as people continue to acknowledge systemic oppression against minorities. But how did Indigenous Peoples' Day come to be?
To understand the holiday's origins, we have to look back to 1492. As taught in many American schools, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail with three ships on the Atlantic Ocean to find a western route from Europe to Asia for the Spanish crown. He and his crew reached a Bahamian island known today as Watling Island. The native people at the time called the island Guanahaní, but Columbus named it San Salvador. Columbus's arrival not only kicked off European transatlantic exploration and colonization but also started a trend of enslaving and disenfranchising native peoples.
One of the earliest major American commemorations of Columbus's arrival took place on October 12, 1792, marking the 300th anniversary of his voyage. Columbus Day later became a federal holiday in 1937 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with its observance moving to the second Monday in October in 1971.
Since then, many Americans have celebrated the explorer's contributions to history. NPR noted that many Italian Americans use the holiday to celebrate their ethnic heritage and contributions to American history. For many Native Americans, however, it was a cruel reminder of centuries of colonial oppression that continue to affect generations of native peoples not just in North America, but in the Western Hemisphere.
The movement to replace Columbus Day gained momentum in 1977, when Indigenous advocates proposed recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day at a United Nations conference. In 1990, South Dakota became the first state to replace Columbus Day with a holiday honoring Native Americans, calling it Native Americans' Day.
Two years later, Berkeley, California, became the first city to officially observe Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day. Since then, other cities, states and institutions across the country have adopted the holiday, recognizing Indigenous histories, cultures and contributions.
In 2021, then-President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day through a presidential proclamation. Although the holiday is observed by numerous states and cities, Columbus Day remains the official federal holiday on the second Monday in October.
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