States, cities & universities that have adopted Indigenous Peoples Day and rejected Columbus Day

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Monday October 10, 2016 · 11:23 AM PDT

2016/10/10 · 11:23

Swell map of cities and states that have adopted Indigenous Peoples Day

Aysha Khan at Think Progress writes a great piece: The movement to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day is spreading rapidly. “This year, at least 17 more jurisdictions will celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the federal holiday that glorifies Native genocide.”

Indigenous People’s Day originated in 1992 in Berkeley as a protest against Columbus Day, which honors and celebrates a man who is known for getting lost on his way to the Americas, wiping out vast numbers of indigenous people in the Caribbean and opening the gateway to the genocide of the indigenous peoples of North America, my relatives. Recognized now as a monster, communities rally to shut down Columbus Day celebrations which are a Federal Holiday.

In 1992, Columbus Day was set to celebrate the 500th year of the “discovery of America” with a massive parade in San Francisco called the Quincentennial Jubilee, organized by congress and staged complete with sailing replicas of Columbus' ships to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, reenacting their "discovery" of America.

The Bay Area Indian Alliance, in turn, organized the "Resistance 500" task force, which advocated that Columbus was responsible for the genocide of indigenous people.

In 1992, the group convinced the city council of Berkeley, California, to declare October 12 a "Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People", and 1992 the "Year of Indigenous People", and to implement related programs in schools, libraries, and museums. The city symbolically renamed Columbus Day "Indigenous Peoples' Day" beginning in 1992 to protest the historical conquest of North America by Europeans, and to call attention to the demise of Native American people and culture through disease, warfare, massacre, and forced assimilation. [...] Berkeley has celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day ever since. Beginning in 1993, Berkeley has held an annual pow wow and festival on the day.

If this is new to you, google Columbus and genocide.

San Francisco and a few other cities have renamed Columbus Day "Italian Heritage Day" in honor of our Italian brothers and sisters.

Urban Indians in the San Francisco Bay Area celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz Island.

Various tribal governments in Oklahoma have named the day after their own tribes.

But for the record, here are the states, cities, school districts and universities in the U.S. that have adopted Indigenous Peoples Day with a some* rejecting Columbus Day.

Please keep in mind that many more cities and institutions have been lobbying for this change, but keep getting voted down.

Hawaii* has never celebrated Columbus Day but instead Discovers’ Day. Discovered by Polynesians, for the record. Not the aftermath of the colonialism that the mainland indigenous also suffered from.

Oregon* (cannot find a year, yet)

Think Progress reports that California, as a state, observes Indigenous Peoples Day, I cannot find a record of this.

1990

South Dakota*

1992

Berkeley, California*

2014

Minneapolis, Minnesota Seattle, Washington Red Wing, Minnesota* Minnesota State University, Mankato* Grand Rapids, Minnesota

2015

Traverse City, Michigan* Newstead, New York* Village of Akron, New York* Akron Central School District in New York*
St. Paul, Minnesota*
Olympia, Washington*
Lewiston, New York
Anadarko, Oklahoma*
Anchorage, Alaska
Portland, Oregon*
Corvallis, Oregon*
Carrboro, North Carolina*
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Alaska*
San Fernando, California
Belfast, Maine*
Multnomah County, Oregon*
Sandoval County, New Mexico*
Bexar County, Texas*
Lawrence, Kansas*
Alpena, Michigan* Ann Arbor, Michigan* Fargo, North Dakota* Missoula, Montana*

2016

Durango, Colorado Asheville, North Carolina University of Utah* Eugene, Oregon*
Cornell University
Cambridge, Massachusetts*
Boulder, Colorado*
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Denver, Colorado*
Yakima, Washington* Spokane, Washington* Phoenix, Arizona Vermont*
Tompkins County, New York Albuquerque, New Mexico* Bemidji, Minnesota* Belfast, Maine*

Are you encouraging your city or state to reject Columbus Day and honor Indigenous Peoples Day?

Please alert me in the comments if you have a city or institution to add and please provide a source. I plan to post this with an update next year.

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States, cities & universities that have adopted Indigenous Peoples Day and rejected Columbus Day

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