Ezra Mugridge, Freshman
Columbus Day is about celebrating the founding of our country. We remember Christopher Columbus, who sailed across the Atlantic and came to America to start what would eventually become the country we live in today. But after years of continuous speculation and arguments, Indigenous People Day is rapidly replacing this infamous holiday.
As most people know, Columbus was not the one who actually “founded” America. Thousands of Native Americans had been living here long before Columbus sailed to the continent. Yet he claimed it to be his discovery nonetheless, and the Native Americans were pushed aside and sometimes even killed. Now, after hundreds of years, Americans all over the country are deciding it's about time we made a change: to replace the holiday with one that acknowledges the natives and the horrible things that Columbus did to them.
So what is Indigenous People’s Day? Indigenous People’s Day is a holiday that has recently been approved to be official by the president. It’s purpose is to bring awareness to the tribes who lived here centuries before, and to respect and celebrate their culture. On October 8th, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation marking October 11 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Technically, Columbus Day is still a national holiday, meaning it is recognized by the US government and gives a day off to non-essential government offices. But Indigenous People’s Day has officially been added as a new holiday in addition, and every year more and more people's interests move away from Columbus Day and pay their respects to America’s history by celebrating Indigenous People Day instead. 33 statues of Columbus have already been removed across the country, and it doesn’t seem like they will be put back up any time soon. Do you think the U.S. will make the final change of removing Columbus Day itself?
Sources: Indigenous Peoples' Day: These are the states that have ditched Columbus Day - CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/14/us/columbus-day-fast-facts/index.html
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