This week, President Donald Trump made headlines by stating he would not be acknowledging Indigenous Peoples Day, opting instead to put Columbus Day back in the spotlight. His decision signals a stance some Indigenous leaders see as a need for continued advocacy for Native American recognition during his potential second term.
Columbus Day is an annual celebration held in October to honor Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Native Americans have long campaigned for this celebration to be replaced with a holiday that acknowledges Indigenous peoples’ contributions. The aim is not just to celebrate the richness of Indigenous cultures but to also reframe the historical perspective around Columbus.
Instead of highlighting his journey to the Americas, many within Indigenous communities strive to raise awareness about the role Columbus played in historical atrocities and the decimation of Native peoples.
Democratic President Joe Biden marked a historic moment by being the first to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021. He issued a proclamation that celebrated the “invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples,” and respected the sovereignty and self-determination of tribal nations. However, Columbus Day was not removed as a federal holiday nor replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day.
President Trump diverges from his predecessor by refusing to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day. He accuses Democrats of disparaging Columbus’s legacy and advocates for a return to traditional American symbols.
Previously, Trump has acknowledged National Native American Heritage Month in November, highlighting the significant contributions Native Americans make in various sectors, including the military, business, and the arts.
In 2020, the Trump administration funded the restoration of a Columbus statue in Baltimore, which had been toppled by protesters. During the same year, Trump’s campaign unveiled a policy that aimed to honor the legacy of Native American and Alaskan Native communities titled “Putting America’s First Peoples First — Forgotten No More!”
Yet, on his Truth Social platform, Trump suggested that Columbus’s legacy had fallen victim to modern ‘woke’ culture, accusing Democrats of attempting to destroy Columbus’s reputation and thereby offending the Italian-American community.
Jonathan Nez, a former president of the Navajo Nation, accompanied Biden as he signed the Indigenous Peoples Day proclamation. Nez viewed this as a gesture that recognized generations of Native Americans’ struggles for acknowledgment as sovereign nations, emphasizing the special relationship with the U.S.
“We have a unique relationship with the federal government, but actions like these take us back to when Indigenous peoples were not respected or seen as equals,” said Nez.
Although the push for Indigenous Peoples Day began in the 1990s, its momentum significantly grew within the last decade. This coincided with a broader societal reckoning with racial injustice in the U.S., during which activists toppled numerous Columbus statues. It’s part of an effort for open dialogues about America’s complex history.
Columbus Day emerged in the 1890s, particularly after several Italian men were lynched in New Orleans. President Benjamin Harrison used the holiday to both undermine anti-Italian immigrant sentiments and appeal to Italian-American voters. Since then, Columbus Day has become tied to Italian-American heritage and American nationalism.
Harvard historian Philip Deloria, who belongs to the Dakota Nation, suggested that Trump’s view focuses more on ethnic heritage than broader American nationalist implications. Trump’s politics often play into narratives of grievance; hence, his actions are not unexpected.
During Biden’s presidency, Indigenous Peoples Day was increasingly recognized by Americans, explained Bryan Newland, a member of the Bay Mills Indian Community and former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior. He noted that the advocacy for Indigenous recognition transcends electoral periods and must continue generationally.
Montana state Senator Shane Morigeau, from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, voiced an essential view. He emphasized learning from an undistorted historical account of Columbus’s impact and the importance of accurate storytelling, rather than erasing history.
Efforts to educate on Columbus’s true legacy aim not to overlook history but to acknowledge its full scope accurately.