This weekend, students, faculty, and people around the country had this Monday off in celebration of Columbus Day, or known as Indigenous Peoples Day. Students enjoyed the three day weekend, using the time to catch up on work, as the end of the quarter is this Friday.
Originally, this day was created to celebrate Christopher Columbus’s voyage from Portugal to the Americas and his discovery of the New World. However, in recent years, many people have brought up issues with the honoring of Columbus and changed the day to be known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Although the Biden Administration officially created Indigenous Peoples Day, many people still use ‘Columbus Day’ in conversation, according to freshman Sophina Duong.
“Of course I think it’s important to honor the history of Indigenous people, and I think they should have a holiday to celebrate the key role they play in the development of this country,” Duong said. “It is crucial that we honor the founding and exploration of new lands, but doing it in the name of Columbus may not be the most modern way of going about it,”
Christopher Columbus was known to exploit and attack Native American communities, claiming the new world for Spain with the Doctrine of Discovery. Throughout his time in the Americas, Columbus partook in dehumanizing practices to convert Indigenous people to Christianity, according to the National Museum of the American Indian. Some believe that forcefully conquering the land of indigenous people disqualifies him from being honored with his own holiday, however others such as sophomore Nina McGarry believe his act of exploration and his courage should be recognized.
“I understand that commemorating the day as Indigenous Peoples Day is important to recognize often forgotten history, but it is still necessary to recognize Columbus’s achievement of discovering the Americas, an impressive feat for the time period,” McGarry said. “The world would likely look very different without Columbus’s voyage, and although he did many bad things, his discovery should not be discounted or overlooked by writing his legacy out of our current world,”
On the other hand, Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World has been celebrated since the 16th century, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt making it a federal holiday in 1937 after Italian American immigrants pushed for the celebration, according to Italian Sons and Daughters of America. Because of struggles Italians faced when immigrating to America due to appearances and culture, Columbus became an Italian American icon as he too had a darker complexion and Italian origins. Since then, Christopher Columbus has been a symbol of immigrant acceptance for many communities, which is why some people believe that the replacement of this holiday is not right.
“I could see how people are more familiar with Columbus day, but also how others want a more modern celebration of this holiday,” Duong said. “Overall, it’s a fun day off from school and work no matter what you think about the name.”
