In the United States, the second Monday in October is designated as Columbus Day, one of only 10 official federal holidays. Relatively recently, some think Columbus Day should instead be celebrated as Indigenous People’s Day. In keeping with many national discussions these days, feelings on both sides are strong.
I’ll always consider Columbus Day to be October 12 because that is the date he first set foot in the Americas and the day it was celebrated at school and work for most of my life. Every American school kid of my generation had it drummed into our heads that Columbus discovered America. Period. End of story. Any question of that proposition was heresy and tantamount to being some kind of pinko commie radical.
Of course when Columbus “discovered” America in 1492, he was met by descendants of people who had been living in North and South America for thousands and thousands of years. The Americas were populated by many thriving civilizations when Columbus arrived. In fact, Columbus didn’t “discover” squat. He wasn’t even the first European.
As I think about the debate between Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day these are a few of the things that come to mind.
Assume that a technologically highly advanced alien civilization traveled great distances through space to Earth and encountered our preexisting and comparatively primitive cultures. Would it be okay for that race to dominate us, claim that it discovered Earth, and teach that fallacy to us and its own race? Earth’s indigenous population would strongly dispute that if the vastly superior aliens allowed.
In fiction like H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, it is always the alien civilization that succumbs to our contagious diseases and never the other way around. There is no reason why that would always be the case. It was European aliens who spread devastating disease nearly everywhere they went, including the Americas, Africa, and the Pacific not the indigenous people who made the Europeans sick. Disease brought by Europeans nearly wiped out indigenous populations and severely degraded their ability to defend themselves.
Although Columbus was the first to widely report his findings, it has been shown that Columbus wasn’t even the first European in North America. Erik the Red, a Viking sailing from Iceland, reached Greenland in 780 AD. Greenland is situated on the North American tectonic plate and closer to the the mainland of North America than to Europe.
Erik’s son, Leif, has been recognized for decades as the first European to arrive on the mainland of North America in about 1000 AD, 500 years before Columbus. Pursuant to a unanimous vote of Congress, in 1964, President Johnson declared a national Leif Eriksson Day. October 9 in the U.S. has been officially and nationally recognized ever since as Leif Eriksson Day, though not really celebrated or even widely publicized.

Columbus never reached the North American mainland. He was grossly mistaken about where he was. Columbus thought he’d reached the far east. Hence he named the people he encountered Indians.
Alien abduction is real. Columbus and others involuntarily brought Native Americans back to Spain. Africans were abducted into slavery. As a child I was taught that Magellan was the first to sale around the world. That simplified story is of course false. Magellan was killed in the Philippines. Magellan’s abducted servant, Henrique of Malacca, likely holds the honor of circumnavigating the Earth first. Magellan was killed in the Philippines. Henrique escaped following Magellan’s death. It seems logical that he would have beaten a beeline back to his home in relatively nearby Malaysia.
It has been suggested that the Chinese reached North America before Columbus. In addition, the shortest distance across the Atlantic Ocean (1,600 mi/2,575 km) is between a point on the coast of Senegal, and a point on the coast of Brazil. Weather patterns forming off the west coast of Africa are responsible for storms that hit the United States and Caribbean Islands.
The proximity of the two continents makes it feasible, though not a claim I’m making, that Africans reached the Americas at some point on their own. I don’t trust those who were intent on subjugating and exploiting indigenous populations to accurately report or appreciate the capabilities of the people they were intent on subjugating and exploiting.
Hundreds of years before Columbus, Polynesians had the sailing skill and navigational ability to travel in primitive boats farther than 1,200 mi (almost 2,000 km) across the Pacific to tiny Easter Island. They probably could, and maybe did, go all the way to South America.
Final Thoughts
Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. I have no problem with recognizing Columbus’ exploits as long as we don’t say he discovered (as in was the first to find or visit) North America and at the same time recognize the horrible acts and effects of colonization on indigenous populations. Having an Indigenous People’s Day seems like a good idea, too. Any such day, however, should be celebrated on a date that has nothing to do with Columbus Day.
How do you feel about it? Should we celebrate Columbus Day, Indigenous People’s Day, both or neither.
What a fine and informative post. 🙂
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There is a lot to think about and a lot that remains unknown. Thanks for your comments.
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sadly the truth about history for centuries or more is most of it is, un-ironically, a whitewash.
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Well put, Andy!
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Very interesting, thoughtful and thought-provoking post. In the UK too we were once taught that Columbus discovered America, but I believe (hope) teaching is much more nuanced now.
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Thanks for sharing, Sarah. It is interesting to know how other countries think about it. Nuanced is a good way to say it. The discover America thing really needs to be looked at from several points of view.
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I’m split on this at least three ways. I have several Roman Catholic friends who celebrate Christopher Columbus; I have several Native American pals who obviously honor their ancestral heritage; and I’m Scandinavian, so Leif Erikson’s tale appeals. Maybe the day should not be a federal holiday at all.
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What a great post John and shedding light on this. I used to march in the Columbus Day parade every year in S.F. without a thought and this is so insightful!!❣️❣️
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Hey Cindy! Marching in a parade was a blast I bet. I found out that some celebrate Columbus Day because of their Italian heritage. The roots of the day go back to 1891 when 11 Italian Americans were lynched in New Orleans. Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day raise a lot of issues to think about.
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I was with Job’s daughters and we went to convention every year and won the contest. It has so nostalgic memories of making sure I had my boots polished and the right color tape on my boots with my Scottish skirt… no Italian roots there …lol. But I love the history. Wow, going back in tine is so revealing John. Thanks for sharing this!! 💕🙏💗
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And thanks for adding your story!❤😊
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You’re so welcome John! Always a pleasure to share💖
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Much appreciated, Cindy!
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💕💗❤️Happy Fri Yayyyy John!💕
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OMG! Most definitely Happy Fri Yayyy to you too!!!😊😃😍
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Lol!!! 😱
Thnaks much and to you!!!😎💕
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thanks for your thoughtful post, John. I agree with what you have to say; let’s recognize the contributions of both Columbus and the indigenous people. they are part of who we are, and we need to recognize that…
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Yes. I think we’d have to start with acknowledging what was already here when Columbus arrived.
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that seems like a simple place to start; shouldn’t be much controversy with that….
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😉
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L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland where were there in July . So much history about the Vikings and Natives.
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Very cool! I’d like to see it too.
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I don’t think that the truth is that hard to handle. The conquest and near annihilation of all the native populations began – or is said to have begun – with Columbus. Still Columbus was a great man in his way, a great hero in Italy and Spain, who opened up the New World to them, and ushered in the current era. The conquest of the Americas is generally an ugly chapter in my opinion.
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I agree. It should not be hard to handle but for some it definitely is. Speaking of hard to handle and stirring up a hornet’s nest, this discussion kind of inevitably leads to the topic of reparations for colonization and slavery. Thanks much for reading and providing your point of view.
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Reparations, and also leads to discussions of critical race theory and education. Good that people discuss these things.
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Good point. All of the effort to fight critical race theory is mindboggling. If only that much effort had been directed against racism, we’d all be so much better off.
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Where did they come up with the term critical race theory anyway?
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I assume the term came from someone who doesn’t support transparency on the history of racism. Creating a term without a precise definition of what the term means allows people to fill in the blank with whatever they want.
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I looked it up. CRT was first used as title of civil right’s advocate’s
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Continued …used as title for 1989 conference and was used by liberals. Right wingers took that football and made an end run with it and made it a rallying call for white resentment and anger.
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Very interesting. Thanks for the info.
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An engaging post.
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The topic is very engaging. I think the point of view of indigenous people should get more respect and understanding. To do that requires fully understanding what actually was done to them, their lands and their cultures. It seems this topic and the one of Confederate monuments have a lot in common.
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Columbus did not discover America but he did usher in the Age of Discovery. Indigenous People should be recognized and respected. This is not just a North/Central/South American issue. it happened in Africa, Asia, and throughout the Pacific Ocean.
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I agree with your sentiments. The term Age of Discovery could be considered to be a misnomer too. I admire the daring of the explorers who set off on multi-year voyages with uncertain outcomes. I abhor the motives, attitudes and actions. A personal opinion. Good of you to comment. It is not easy to talk about uncomfortable topics.
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Well posted, and well said on an issue that is still troublesome.
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Thanks. It is indeed a troublesome issue.
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A good post on Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day. Thank you 😊
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Thanks for taking a look and commenting.
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You are welcome!
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Just before June 19th, Joe Biden signed Juneteenth into law making it the 11th Federal holiday. It was one of the few things that Congress managed to agree on. Ironically TX which seems bent on taking as many civil rights away as possible, was the first state to recognize Juneteenth, probably because Galveston was where Juneteenth happened in 1865.
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Juneteenth is one I should remember. Any thoughts on Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day?
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