Replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Published October 11, 2021    By Partnership

No one can imagine all that Native Americans endured after the arrival of Christopher Columbus on these shores, largely because we do not talk honestly about it. Native communities continue to fight to protect their homes, their families and the only land they’d ever known. Rather than paying homage to someone whose legacy caused devastation for millions of Indigenous people, we believe in honoring those who proved to be resilient through it all – and celebrating their contributions to the U.S.

While long miscredited for discovering the ‘New World’, Christopher Columbus robbed Indigenous people of their foodways, languages and lifeways, and instead opened the door to a life of disease, genocide, land grabs and slavery.

This year, PWNA is encouraging everyone to sign our #NativeAware petition that supports House Bill 5473 to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day nationwide.  While we applaud President Biden’s proclamation of October 11 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day for 2021, we must demand a permanent change to this day every year.

A bill to change Columbus Day was first introduced in 1991. Since then, 14 states and more than 130 cities across the U.S. have already made the change, but we firmly believe more can be done. All signatures collected through the petition will be sent to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, on Oct. 20, 2021, in support of a demand for this necessary change.

Columbus Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1937 as part of an effort to incorporate heavily stigmatized Catholic Italians, such as Columbus, into American history. But enough is enough. For so many people, Columbus Day serves as a reminder of the pain and loss endured by Indigenous tribes and families – a pain passed down through the generations. It’s also inaccurate to say Columbus discovered a land that was already populated by millions of people for thousands of years.

Join our Indigenous Peoples’ Day movement today. Sign the petition and share it with your friends and loved ones to help permanently replace Columbus Day. Indigenous youth deserve to learn about the real U.S. history and take pride in Native American resilience. We can’t change the past or undo the harm, but we can make the future brighter for those who will come after us.