Campaigning in New Hampshire today, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) told a crowd that she would push for the federal government to rename Columbus Day “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”
That’s a focal point for some progressives who say the holiday should emphasize the history of Native Americans instead of the Italian explorer.
“Sign me up,” Harris said in response to a voter’s question of whether she would support the initiative to rename the holiday.
Instead of honoring Columbus, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes Native Americans, who were the first inhabitants of the land that later became the United States of America.
Advocates for the switch to Indigenous Peoples Day argue that Columbus did not “discover” America in 1492 but instead began the colonization of it.
For decades, Native American activists have advocated abolishing Columbus Day, which became a federal holiday in 1937.
“It’s very important to get rid of Columbus Day, to get rid of any celebration of Columbus because he was not a hero,” said Mahtowin Munro, the lead organizer for Indigenous Peoples’ Day Massachusetts, an organization campaigning to get statewide recognition.
Austin, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles joined about 55 other cities in removing Columbus Day last year.
In an Op-Ed last October, called “Tearing Down Statues of Columbus Also Tears Down My History,” John M. Viola, president and chief operating officer of the National Italian American Foundation, argued:
“I appreciate that for many people, including some Italian-Americans, the celebration of Columbus is viewed as belittling the suffering of indigenous peoples at the hands of Europeans. But for countless people in my community, Columbus, and Columbus Day, represent an opportunity to celebrate our contributions to this country. We believe Christopher Columbus represents the values of discovery and risk that are at the heart of the American dream.”
Harris’s competitor in the Democratic primary, Sen. Cory Booker, was asked the same question in New Hampshire today, but did not commit to renaming the holiday.
“I’d like to talk more about why you think it’s important on a federal level,” Booker told voters. “My commitment to you and indigenous peoples is to tell the truth, to work to address the issues, and to find a way to have real recognition and healing.”