Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October, and is an official city and state holiday in various localities. It began as a counter-celebration held on the same day as the U.S. federal holiday of Columbus Day, which honors Christopher Columbus.

About Indigenous Peoples’ Day in brief

Summary Indigenous Peoples' DayIndigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October, and is an official city and state holiday in various localities. It began as a counter-celebration held on the same day as the U.S. federal holiday of Columbus Day, which honors Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. It was instituted in Berkeley, California, in 1992, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492. In 2013, the California state legislature considered a bill, AB55, to formally replace Columbus Day with Native American Day but did not pass it. On August 30, 2017, following similar affirmative votes in Oberlin, Ohio, followed later by Bangor, Maine, the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of replacing Columbus’ Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.

On October 10, 2019, just a few days before Columbus Day would be celebrated in Washington, D.C., the D. C. Council voted to temporarily replace ColumbusDay with Indigenous People’s Day. Numerous efforts in North America have honored Native American people by designating two holidays for the same date or by designation two holidays. Numerous protests have been staged against celebrating Columbus Day in Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Columbus Day must undergo congressional approval to become permanent. At least thirteen states do not celebrate Columbus Day ; South Dakota officially celebrates NativeAmerican Day instead.