Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous Peoples' Day^[1] (also known as Native American Day) is a holiday celebrated in various localities in the United States. It began as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day, promoting Native American culture and commemorating the history of Native American peoples. The celebration began in Berkeley, California, through the International Indian Treaty Council, and Denver, Colorado, as a protest against Columbus Day, which is listed as a federal holiday in the United States, but is not observed as a state holiday in every state.^[2] Indigenous Peoples' Day is usually held on the second Monday of October, coinciding with the federal observance of Columbus Day.^[3]

History

The idea of replacing Columbus Day with a day celebrating the indigenous people of North America first arose in 1977 from the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, sponsored by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.^[4] At the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance in Quito, Ecuador, in July 1990, representatives of Indian groups throughout the Americas agreed that they would mark 1992, the 500th anniversary of the first of the voyages of Christopher Columbus, as a year to promote "continental unity" and "liberation." ^[5]

After the conference, attendees from Northern California organized to plan protests against the "Quincentennial Jubilee" that had been organized by the United States Congress for the San Francisco Bay Area on Columbus Day, 1992, to include, among other things, sailing replicas of Columbus' ships under the Golden Gate Bridge and reenacting their "discovery" of America. The delegates formed the Bay Area Indian Alliance, and, in turn, the "Resistance 500" task force,^[6] which advocated the notion that Columbus was responsible for genocide of indigenous people.^[7][8]

In 1992, the group convinced the city council of Berkeley, California, to declare October 12 a "Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People", and 1992 the "Year of Indigenous People", and to implement related programs in schools, libraries, and museums. The city symbolically renamed Columbus Day "Indigenous Peoples' Day" beginning in 1992^[9] to protest the historical conquest of North America by Europeans, and to call attention to the demise of Native American people and culture^[10] through disease, warfare, massacre, and forced assimilation. Performances were scheduled that day for Get Lost (Again) Columbus, an opera by a Native-American composer.^[11] Berkeley has celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day ever since.^[12] Beginning in 1993, Berkeley has held an annual pow wow and festival on the day.^[6]

In the years after Berkeley's move, other local governments and institutions have either renamed or canceled Columbus Day, either to celebrate Native Americans, to avoid celebrating actions of Columbus that led to the colonization of America by Spanish conquistadors, or due to controversy over the legacy of Columbus.^[13] Two other California cities, Sebastopol and Santa Cruz, now celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day.^[13]

At least four states do not celebrate Columbus Day (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and South Dakota) with South Dakota officially celebrating Native American Day instead.^[3][14][15] Various tribal governments in Oklahoma designate the day "Native American Day", or name the day after their own tribe.^[16] In 2013, California considered a bill, AB55, to replace Columbus Day formally with Native American Day.^[17]

Virginia celebrates both Columbus Day and Yorktown Victory Day, commemorating a battle in the Revolutionary War.^[18] The United States Virgin Islands celebrates "Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands Friendship Day." Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day, commemorating the Polynesian discoverers of Hawaii.^[19][20] San Francisco, California, and a number of other American cities have either canceled their observances or renamed them "Italian Heritage Day" in honor of Italian Americans,^[21] for whom Columbus, believed by many historians to be a native of Italy, was a source of pride.^[22] Columbus, Ohio has not sponsored an official Columbus Day parade since the 1990s, in part over controversy over the legacy of Columbus.^[13] Other cities and states have canceled celebrations due to lack of interest in the holiday or budget cuts.^[13]

Some Native Americans formally celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day. One way this occurs is a sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay.^[23]

In April 2014, the city council of Minneapolis, Minnesota, officially voted to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day along with Columbus Day.^[24][25] This was followed in October by the city council of Seattle, Washington, officially recognizing the holiday.^[26]

On April 28, 2014, Red Wing, Minnesota, replaced Columbus Day with Chief Red Wing Day to honor the city's namesake, Hupaha-duta, the Dakota leader known as "Red Wing".^[27]

Indigenous Peoples' Day is recognized in place of Columbus Day at Minnesota State University, Mankato, following an official vote of the Minnesota State Student Association in October 2014.

The city council of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, passed a resolution recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day on December 15, 2014.^[28]

The City Commission of Traverse City, Michigan, passed a resolution recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day on February 2, 2015.^[29]

The Town of Newstead and the Village of Akron, New York, and the Akron Central School District, voted to celebrate Indigenous People's Day on Columbus Day in May 2015.^[30]

On August 12, 2015, the city council of St. Paul, Minnesota, unanimously passed a resolution recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day.^[31]

The Town and Village of Lewiston, New York, declared the second Monday of October, Indigenous Peoples' Day, on September 28 and October 5, 2015, respectively.^[32]

In October 2015, the cities of Anchorage, Alaska, Portland, Oregon, Carrboro, North Carolina and Albuquerque, New Mexico adopted similar resolutions.^{[33][34][35][36]}

In October 2015 Governor Bill Walker of Alaska issued an executive proclamation renaming Columbus Day "Indigenous Peoples' Day."^[37]

On October 5, 2015, the City of San Fernando passed a resolution recognizing Indigenous People's Day.^[38] The City of San Fernando may be the first city in Los Angeles County to recognize this day.^[39]

On December 15, 2015, the City Council of Belfast, Maine approved the renaming of Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

On January 5, 2016, the City Council of Durango, Colorado unanimously voted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Monday of October.^[40]

Asheville City Council voted unanimously to adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day on January 12, 2016.^[41]

On January 28th, 2016 the student body of the University of Utah unanimously voted to support the replacement of the annual holiday "Columbus Day" to "Indigenous Peoples' Day".

Other celebrations

There have been a number of efforts in the Americas and elsewhere to honor American Indians as part of Columbus Day, or by designating two holidays for the same date.^[10] There have also been protests on Columbus Day and against Columbus Day celebrations.^[42] They have included mock trials of Christopher Columbus, an insurgent offensive by the Shining Path guerrillas of Peru,^[42] and protests and disruptions of Columbus Day parades.^[43]

Other than the American Columbus Day counter-celebration, there have occasionally been other designations of a similar holiday throughout the world. Brazil celebrates "National Indigenous Peoples' Day" on April 19.^[44] In the Philippines, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, as well as various local indigenous towns, designated October 29, 2008, an Indigenous Peoples' Day.^[45]

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

In 1994, the United Nations declared an International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, but, concerned about upsetting some member nations, chose August 9 instead of the traditional Columbus Day.^[46] There has been some annual international celebration on August 9 ever since.^[47][48]

See also

• Columbus Day
• Native American Day
• Indian Day (Brazil)

References

External links

• Archives of Indigenous Peoples Day— Historical archives of the origins and development of Indigenous Peoples Day
• Berkeley's Indigenous Peoples Day— History of the annual celebration, pow wow and Native American market
• Indigenous Peoples Day 2014— A short documentary on Indigenous Peoples Day 2014
• Article-20 Years Later—The Origins of Indigenous Peoples Day