In 1977, the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, sponsored by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, began to discuss replacing Columbus Day in the Americas with a celebration to be known as Indigenous Peoples Day. Similarly, Native American groups staged a sort of protest in Boston instead of Thanksgiving, which has been celebrated there to mark collaboration between Massachusetts colonists and Native Americans.[when?] In July 1990, at the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance in Quito, Ecuador, representatives of Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas agreed that they would mark 1992, the 500th anniversary of the first of the voyages of Christopher Columbus, as a year to promote "continental unity" and "liberation".
At least 14 states do not celebrate Columbus Day (Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin), as well as Washington, DC; South Dakota officially celebrates Native American Day instead. Various tribal governments in Oklahoma designate the day as "Native American Day", or have renamed the day after their own tribes. In 2013, the California state legislature considered a bill, AB55, to formally replace Columbus Day with Native American Day but did not pass it. While the California governor has recognized Indigenous Peoples Day, the holiday was eliminated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2008-12 California budget crisis. On August 30, 2017, following similar affirmative votes in Oberlin, Ohio, followed later by Bangor, Maine, in the earlier weeks of the same month, the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. On October 10, 2019, just a few days before Columbus Day would be celebrated in Washington, D.C., the D.C. Council voted to temporarily replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. This bill was led by Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) and must undergo congressional approval to become permanent. Washington D.C., as of May 2023, has yet to have given the permanent legislation to this renaming.
Indigenous peoples in other nations have also lobbied to have holidays established to recognize their contributions and history. In South America, for instance, Brazil celebrates "National Indigenous Peoples Day" on April 19.
Some states celebrate a separate but similar Native American Day; however, this is observed not on Columbus Day but in September. Those who observe include the states of California and Tennessee. However, as of 2021, the State of California does not actually observe this holiday by closing its government offices, giving its employees paid time off, or encouraging private businesses to do the same in observance. In Washington state it is celebrated the Friday immediately following the fourth Thursday in November.
The following U.S. states and federal district have established Indigenous Peoples' Day as a state holiday on the second Monday in October.
Additionally, the following states have a holiday celebrating Native Americans on some other day or have recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day but not as an official holiday.
Sometimes unpunctuated Indigenous "Peoples" or incorrectly punctuated "People's" Day
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"Chapter 187 — Holidays; Standard of Time; Commemorations". State of Oregon. Oregon Legislative Website. Retrieved October 13, 2013. https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors187.html
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"Columbus Day To Native American Day? CA Assemblyman Roger Hernandez Introduces Bill AB 55". HuffPost. January 10, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2015.In December 2015 The Belfast, Maine City Council approved a resolution to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, making it the first city east of the Mississippi to take this historic step. It was first celebrated in October 2016 with a weekend of events planned and produced in full cooperation with our local Wabanaki communities, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi'kmaq. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/columbus-day-native-american-day_n_2451999.html
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Reid, Melissa (August 21, 2017). "City of Oberlin officially abolishes Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day". fox8.com. WJW (TV). Retrieved August 31, 2017. In a unanimous vote Monday night, Oberlin City Council voted to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. http://fox8.com/2017/08/21/city-of-oberlin-abolishes-columbus-day-in-favor-of-indigenous-peoples-day/
"Bangor Renaming Columbus Day as 'Indigenous Peoples Day'". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report. August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017. One of the biggest cities in Maine is renaming the second Monday in October as "Indigenous Peoples Day" instead of Columbus Day...WMTW-TV reports the Bangor City Council approved the change on Monday. Belfast, Maine, became the first city in the state to make the change in 2015...Bangor officials say in public records that the renamed holiday "will provide an opportunity for our community to recognize and celebrate the Indigenous Peoples of our region." They specifically site the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Penobscot Indian Nation and the Passamaquoddy tribe. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/maine/articles/2017-08-29/bangor-renaming-columbus-day-as-indigenous-peoples-day
"LA City Council votes to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day". abc7.com. KABC-TV. August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017. The Los Angeles City Council voted on Wednesday to replace the Columbus Day holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day...Councilmembers voted 14-1 to make the second Monday in October a day to commemorate indigenous, aboriginal and native people. It will be a paid holiday for city employees. http://abc7.com/society/la-city-council-votes-to-replace-columbus-day-with-indigenous-peoples-day/2358896/
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