Columbus Day is one of 11 federal holidays, but it is surrounded by controversy. Despite what many of us were taught, the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus did not discover America. How can a land be “discovered” when people have inhabited it for many thousands of years? 

This holiday on the second Monday in October is slowly being recognized in a new light. 

On October 11, 2021, President Biden signed a proclamation commemorating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This formal act is helping shift the attention away from explorers who committed atrocities against Indigenous communities and instead helps honor those who inhabited the Americas before colonization began. To date, 17 states and the District of Columbia have holidays to celebrate Native Americans – and some states have dropped Columbus Day altogether. 

Lifted from President Biden’s 2021 proclamation, this formal act tries to help correct a “whitewashed” American history:

“We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation, and terror wrought upon Native communities and Tribal Nations throughout our country.  Today, we acknowledge the significant sacrifices made by Native peoples to this country — and recognize their many ongoing contributions to our Nation. 

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today.  I encourage everyone to celebrate and recognize the many Indigenous communities and cultures that make up our great country.”

This proclamation attempts to help reclaim histories and promote honor and respect for  Indigenous people. It also recognizes their inherent sovereignty and serves as a formal commitment to the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations. 

The United States of America has never truly lived up to its written intention of equality for all. This guiding principle was quite the departure from the fact that the Indigenous people endured violence, devastation, enslavement, and forced relocation – all at the hands of the colonists. 

While Native Americans have suffered immeasurable losses, they have preserved traditions, cultures and ways of life. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is one small way to honor their contributions and resilience. 

It’s not an effort to rewrite history – rather, it is an attempt to help make things right.