Is It Time to Ditch Columbus Day?

What's the story?

• Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1937, but a growing number of cities across the U.S. are reconceiving it as Indigenous Peoples' Day.
• For some, the original holiday honors Christopher Columbus’ achievements and celebrates Italian-American heritage.
• For others, it unduly vaunts someone who didn’t even discover America, and overlooks the widespread suffering of those already here at the hands of European colonizers.

A brief history

• Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August 1492, bound for Asia with backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
• Columbus intended to chart a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Instead, on October 12, he landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings established colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10th century.
• Columbus crossed the Atlantic several more times in his life, but it wasn’t until his third trip that he realized he hadn’t reached Asia.
• In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a national holiday, largely in response to intense lobbying from the Knights of Columbus, an influential Catholic fraternal organization.

Controversy

• Controversy over Columbus Day dates back to the 19th century, when anti-immigrant groups rejected the holiday because of its association with Catholicism.
• More recently, Native Americans and other groups have protested the celebration of an event that led to the colonization of the Americas, the beginnings of the transatlantic slave trade, and the deaths of millions from murder and disease.

Indigenous Peoples Day

• Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Minnesota, Vermont, Maine, and South Dakota have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, as have the cities of Denver, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
• In 2017, the Navajo Nation declared the second Monday of October to be Indigenous Peoples' Day. In its proclamation, the Navajo Nation said:

“Indigenous Peoples' Day shall be an opportunity to celebrate the thriving cultures and positive values of Indigenous Peoples, and shall further be observed to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples.”

• As the federal government marks Columbus Day, President Donald Trump’s proclamation for the third year in a row doesn’t mention the holiday’s painful legacy for Native Americans. Trump’s statement praised Columbus’ “bold legacy”:

"Columbus’s daring voyage to the New World brought two continents together, enabling a global perspective for the first time. The bold legacy of Columbus and his crew spun a thread that weaves through the extensive history of Americans who have pushed the boundaries of exploration. 

What do you think?

Should the U.S. ditch Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day? Why or why not? Tell your reps what you think, then share your thoughts below.

—Sara E. Murphy & Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / THEPALMER)