Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday observed on the second Monday of October. It honours Native American cultures and commemorates their histories and ongoing struggles. Understanding why this occasion emerged shows its great significance.
Problems with Continuing to Celebrate Columbus Day
Celebrating explorer Christopher Columbus with a federal holiday long overlooked the real harm that he caused.
Critical Views of Columbus Emerged
Originally Italian Americans had promoted Columbus as an important Catholic symbol of inclusion, but perspectives on him evolved. By 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s 1492 arrival revived public debate on the full ramifications.
Truth About His Acts Revealed
Scholarship and testimony from indigenous peoples made clear that Columbus committed many atrocities. He enslaved the natives he encountered, mutilated them, executed them, took women captives as sex slaves, and more. His expeditions sparked ethnic cleansing and slavery across the Americas alongside disease, exploitation, environmental destruction, and cultural losses.
No Commemoration of Those Harmed
Meanwhile, Native American experiences were long excluded and minimized in history books and holidays despite indigenous populations being decimated and then displaced during colonization. There was no day recognizing the immense hardships they endured. Celebrating Columbus upheld only the European settler experience.
This table outlines Columbus’s two different legacies:
| Columbus’s Promoted Legacy | Columbus’s Actual Damaging Legacy |
|---|---|
| Brave explorer and adventurer | Cruel acts toward indigenous peoples like slavery, mutilation |
| Spread deadly diseases like smallpox, measles, and influenza to natives | Proof that the world was round based on his voyage |
| Symbol of Italian immigration success | Enabled destruction of native cities, centuries of discrimination against Indigenous Americans |
| “Discoverer” of Americas and link between worlds | “Discoverer” of Americas and the link between worlds |
Calls Grew to Reconsider Holiday
Over 30 years, as this fuller picture of Columbus emerged to replace myths taught in schools, calls grew to reconsider whether claiming the devastating European colonization as a national holiday matched ethics. Indigenous leaders especially advocated reevaluating Columbus Day.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Established
By the late 20th century, various cities and states took action by designating the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day. Later the federal government followed.
Affirms Native Perspectives and Experiences
Indigenous Peoples’ Day affirms native voices that had been silenced for generations. It also uplifts awareness of native American experiences, rectifies past oversights of history books written only from the European settler perspective, and honours indigenous peoples’ resilience despite centuries of discrimination.
Resists Ongoing Erasure of Indigenous Peoples
This holiday also resists the ongoing erasure of native contributions in America and the dismissal of indigenous rights. It raises needed awareness of both past and present injustices rooted in colonization. Transforming the holiday brings native stories to light at last.
Promotes More Inclusive Education
Indigenous Peoples’ Day events teach authentic history about advanced American Indian civilizations that existed before colonization. They highlight cultural practices, environmental sustainability, architectural innovations, agricultural knowledge, medicine, governance systems, and rich oral histories passed for millennia before European contact. The holiday also uplifts later native contributions – like the crucial role of Navajo code talkers during World War 2. Celebrating these varied tribal experiences fosters belonging for all Americans while expanding understanding.
Significance and Meaning of Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Beyond correcting the record of Columbus himself and native American experiences, establishing this holiday carries deeper meaning in its own right.
Allows Connection to Ancestral Lands and Cultures
Honouring enduring native ties to ancestral lands and protecting sacred sites preserves cultural continuity that provides spiritual nourishment. Acts like returning control of National Park mountain and canyon lands to tribes enable them to maintain holy grounds and practices.
Validates Immense Losses Over Centuries
By commemorating decimated native populations centuries ago from violence and disease, alongside more recent eras of broken treaties, stolen lands, banned native languages in boarding schools, forced assimilation efforts, and stamped out traditions, Indigenous Peoples’ Day validates the collective grief still felt deeply across tribes. It says those losses matter greatly.
Inspires Hope for the Future
Uplifting native populations’ endurance and survival despite genocide and oppression inspires profound hope instead of seeing this ethnic group through common stereotypes. Thriving language revitalization programs teaching youth tribal tongues affect identity and well-being. Cultural renewals through native land management, foods, arts, storytelling and tribal collaborations reveal a determination to flourish.
Enables Ongoing Reconciliation
As government policies, school curriculums, conservation approaches, and social conversations become more inclusive of native voices via extensive tribal consultations, Americans gain opportunities to better understand indigenous worldviews, connections to homelands, and concepts of identity. Over time this healing fostered by Indigenous Peoples’ Day may allow reconciliation between groups who once saw each other as enemies or aliens.
How Indigenous Peoples’ Day is Celebrated
Various educational, artistic, insightful and community bonding events now occur around October 11th instead of Columbus Day.
Official Government Acknowledgment
Over 100 cities, states and colleges across America now observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day. A growing number closed governmental offices that day including Alaska, Maine, Vermont, New Mexico and Washington DC.
Speeches and Ceremonies
City officials and community organizers often host Indigenous Peoples’ Day civic events both virtually and in person featuring noted native speakers. Tribes in areas hold blessings, dances and commemorative ceremonies. National and regional leaders issue official proclamations on this date.
Cultural Exhibits and Performances
Museums and cultural institutions spotlight indigenous arts and history with special exhibits of authentic crafts, moccasins, birch bark baskets, beading, quilts, pottery and pipes alongside native music, oral histories, photographs, maps, wampum belts documenting treaties, and films or books like “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” Galleries showcase contemporary visual artists and jazz musicians. Schools and theatres invite tribal members to demonstrate round dances, hoop dances, and healing dances alongside teaching wilderness skills, foodways, games, coming-of-age rituals and beliefs about nature. Intergenerational events strengthen bonds between native youth and elders.
Feasts and Festivals
Some cities have renamed traditional Columbus Day parades as Indigenous Peoples’ Day Processions. These involve flowing colourful traditional blankets, horses carrying tribal leaders, children dancing, and native music like drumming, flutes and singing. Fall harvest themes feature menus of indigenous crops like the Three Sisters – corn, beans, squash – alongside wild rice, maple syrup, turkey, salmon and berries. Bacon strawberry corn cakes are popular. Pow wows in tribal communities intensify in this season to welcome non-natives to experience inter-tribal dancing and healing ceremonies. State parks offer indigenous skills camps teaching wilderness survival methods like archery, atlatl throwing, tracking, and fire building.
Family Histories Honored
Tribes organize observances and community gatherings for Indian boarding school survivors to share experiences. Descendants investigate ancestral generations on the Dawes Rolls, Trail of Tears, and Sand Creek Massacre. Historical societies assist individuals with genealogical records to reconnect with lost kinships. Peace wreaths float down rivers bearing farewell messages to those who fought Manifest Destiny.
Conclusion
Transforming Columbus Day into Indigenous Peoples’ Day has corrected false narratives, affirmed native humanity and experiences, acknowledged grave losses inflicted after the 1492 arrival, and promoted healing needed to reconcile groups. Yearly commemorative and educational events provide insights into diverse tribal perspectives ignored for centuries while highlighting inspiring cultural renewals underway. This October holiday offers long-overdue recognition of enduring indigenous ties across America.
