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The second Monday in October in the United States was officially made Columbus Day by President Richard Nixon in 1972 in order to commemorate the voyage of Christopher Columbus and his landing in the Taino people's lands, islands that are now referred to as the Caribbean. In 1992 a Quincentennial celebration marking the 500-year anniversary of Columbus's 1492 expedition was observed by the United States and Spain. Billions of dollars were spent by both countries. The photograph at right is of Taino Indigenous women.

To Native American communities and nations throughout the Americas, the 500-year celebration was a deeply concerning matter. It seemed that no one had ever learned their history, or cared, that the voyage of Columbus opened a widespread genocide from the most northern reaches of Canada to the tip of South America: tens of millions of Indigenous peoples were kidnapped and sold into slavery, sex trafficked, militarily slaughtered, and died by the transmission of European disease. This outright carnage was explicitly endorsed in the religious Doctrine of Discovery, a Papal rule of law, written in 1452 by Pope Nicholas V. The Romanus Pontifex, as it was called, declared war against all non-Christians throughout the world and directed King Alfonso of Portugal to

Should the history behind publicly displayed statues be made readily available for viewers? How is the history of Columbus Day taught to American children and to kids around the globe? These are important questions to contemplate, and take action on, every October when Columbus Day arrives once again in America. More and more, though, "Columbus Day" is becoming "Indigenous People's Day" in the cities of the United States.

Before Christopher Columbus made his infamous voyage in 1492 from Spain to arrive in what is now called the Caribbean Islands (landing on Guanahani Island to be exact), there were legal statutes and religious doctrines set in place that shaped the outcomes of his voyage--and of history. Unknown to most Americans, those doctrines are still in place and annually contested by Native American nations.

For folks who have the day off this Monday, October 12 in celebration of Columbus Day, the holiday may seem like a good enough idea.

Did you know that the second Monday in October in the United States is Indigenous People's Day?

In 1977, at the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations held in Geneva, Switzerland, a discussion began about a response to the travesty of celebrating Columbus Day and eventually led to the establishment of an Indigenous People's Day. This day is meant to replace Columbus Day and to celebrate the cultures and commemorate the struggles of Native Americans since European colonization.Though many cities in the U.S. celebrate Indigenous People's Day, it has not been made an official national holiday--yet.