In every Montana city, this day is called “Columbus Day”, but given the size of the state’s Native American population, Sanders said it’s important to recognize why people are fighting for change. A week earlier, Haskell students, dressed in ragalia from Native tribes, marched three miles from their Lawrence campus to city hall to get city officials to proclaim the second Monday in October Indigenous People’s Day. Peterson says Columbus Day was originally conceived as a way to recognize a group of people who experienced their own share of discrimination but has evolved through a closer look at history. The city’s namesake comes from the famous explorer, but other communities don’t want to celebrate Christopher Columbus as much as the people who were here before him. “We understand it’s just a proclamation, but at the same time, we also understand this is the beginning of something greater”. South Dakota instead celebrates Native American Day, and Hawaii celebrates their Polynesian ancestors with Discoverers’ Day.
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The federal holiday for Christopher Columbus was established in 1934. A few holiday, right? The overwhelming majority of people will be at work or school on Monday, including Spokane Public Schools’ students, which does not observe the holiday by taking the day off.
This marks the 523rd anniversary of Columbus’ landing.
But the effort to toss aside Columbus Day could have legs in large part it doesn’t have one big roadblock: the states. “I think for the rest of the country, Columbus Day is a vehicle to celebrate this nation of immigrants”.
That year, protesters blocked the parade route for several hours, she said.
Later this month San Antonio city council members will vote on a proposal to establish Indigenous Peoples Day.
“It represents very positive footsteps and larger discussions we can have on other issues”, Flying Earth said.
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However, Yazzie said the proclamation is exactly what the Native American community needs. “Whatever victory people took from them, you still ended up at the end of the day in the same place or even worse”.
