indigenous peoples day

As the mythology around Christopher Columbus has been corrected, many are pushing to replace Columbus Day with a celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. A cultural strategist and diversity expert, Lauren Wesley Wilson, joined LX News to discuss the importance of recognizing the oppressed rather than celebrating their oppressors.

A statue of Christopher Columbus was found vandalized in Rhode Island Monday, the day many observe the holiday named for him. The statue in Elmwood was found with the word “genocide” painted on its base and a sign saying “Stop Celebrating Genocide” chained around it, WJAR reports. Photographs of the scene show bright, red paint splattered on the statue.

Though it’s one of the 10 official federal holidays recognized in the United States, Columbus Day isn’t always celebrated with a day off.

“Columbus enslaved, colonized, mutilated, and massacred thousands of Indigenous People in the Americas,” Council Member David Grosso said in a statement.

The largest city named for Christopher Columbus has called off its observance of the divisive holiday that honors the explorer, making a savvy move to tie the switch to a politically safe demographic: veterans.

The Black Eyed Peas and Native American rock group Redbone will perform Monday at the grand finale concert for the first celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day in Los Angeles. Los Angeles voted last year to eliminate Columbus Day as an official city holiday and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day.

Councilman Mitch O’Farrell led the effort to eliminate Columbus Day as a city holiday and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. Toni Guinyard reports for Today in LA on Monday Oct. 8, 2018.

The Black Eyed Peas will perform at the grand finale concert for the first celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day in Los Angeles, City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell announced Thursday.

Both the city and county of Los Angeles have plans to officially cancel Christopher Columbus Day by 2019, but signs of the change were already on display Monday, Oct. 9 in Grand Park, where a statue of the explorer was surrounded by a chain-link fence.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to replace its Columbus Day holiday in October with Indigenous People’s Day.