Count me in.

Let’s celebrate our nation’s original inhabitants – true natives to this land – not another European relic.  Reconsider Columbus Day.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day (also known as Native American Day) is a holiday celebrated in various localities in the United States, begun as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day. The purpose of the day is to promote Native American culture and commemorate the history of Native American peoples.

“Indigenous Peoples Day” reimagines Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance.

Ways to Honor Indigenous Peoples Day

• Craft a service or celebration around Indigenous Peoples Day.
• Build and strengthen connections to nearby Native communities.
• Take action to rename Columbus Day “Indigenous Peoples Day.”
  • South Dakota, Alabama, and Hawaii have renamed Columbus Day.
• Provide education on Native lives and cultures.
• Hold a movie screening with a discussion afterward.
• Host a common read and book discussion.
• Take action for the rights and needs of Native peoples!

More cities, states ditch Columbus Day name for Indigenous Peoples’ Day

 

A growing number of U.S. cities and states moved to downplay Columbus Day — a federal holiday — in favor of the rebranded Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but one major city rejected a proposal for the name change this year.

 

Among the states engaged in the rebranding: Vermont, where Gov. Peter Shumlin said the “sacrifice and contributions of the First Peoples of this land” would be honored. He wrote that the day provided an opportunity to celebrate “indigenous heritage and resiliency.”

 

South Dakota has avoided the Columbus Day name for decades, reportedly declaring the second Monday in October as Native Americans Day in 1990.

 

Phoenix became the largest city to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day after a city council vote made it official last Thursday, KJZZ reported. Dozens of other cities also approved the name change in recent years, including Denver and Seattle.

Boulder hosts inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

City is 14th in U.S. to mark the celebration

 

Boulder’s inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration takes place Sunday and Monday, with events that aim to highlight the culture, history and basic existence of the city’s first and often marginalized residents.

 

Boulder is among just over a dozen American cities, including Denver, that observe the holiday this weekend. For the last 82 years, the holiday has been observed as Columbus Day.

 

The City Council unanimously approved Indigenous Peoples Day in August, recognizing that Boulder “has benefitted directly from Indian removal policies that violated human rights.” The council vote included a promise to rename Settlers Park; a new name has not yet been announced.

Denver permanently approves Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Columbus Day

 

DENVER — The city of Denver will no longer celebrate Columbus Day on the second Monday of October after the city council voted to change the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

 

The move, in a 12-0 vote Monday night, is meant to recognize the rich history of Native Americans and the role they played in Denver development.

 

Last year, the council passed a one-time proclamation to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

 

Boulder made a move in August to make it permanent, and Denver has joined at least 14 other cities in the country who have followed suit.

 

Protesters have disrupted the Columbus Day parade in the past in Denver. They believe the holiday wrongly celebrates the enslavement of Native Americans and their removal from the land they called home.

 

Some of that land was along the Cherry Creek and the South Platte River where the people of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes lived.

 

The council’s proclamation says the “systematic destruction of indigenous peoples resulted in poverty and disparities in education, health and the socioeconomic status of Native Americans.”

 

Denver joins other cities such as Seattle; Minneapolis; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Portland, Ore., on the list now marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day.