Columbus or Indigenous Day?

Submitted by ub on

In our practice of transparency, we're pointing out that UB was born on October 12, which was once known as Columbus Day, but years ago it was changed by President Richard Nixon so it could be bundled into a three day weekend on the following Monday.

Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.

While there had been celebrations in 1792 to mark the 300th anniversary, Columbus Day was first officially proclaimed by President Benjamin Harrison in 1892, to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus' landing.

This is a federal holiday which commemorates October 12, the date when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the USA. Though Columbus Day is one of the 10 national holidays, there is no mail delivered today.

But the real question now is should Columbus Day be known as Indigenous people’s day? Columbus Day, which now falls on the second Monday in October, has been considered a celebration of Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage to the Americas.

However, a growing number of cities, states and universities this year have been avoiding it because of Columbus' treatment of indigenous people. It now turns out that eight states, 10 universities and over 130 cities across 34 states reportedly acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day as an alternative to the federally recognized Columbus Day holiday.

Please know that not everyone agrees and many are yet on board The Nina, The Pinta, or The Santa Maria. In May, Many Italian-American heritage groups opposed the change, saying it was motivated by anti-Columbus propaganda.

Christopher Columbus' real name was Cristoforo Columbo. He was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy Following many complaints from natives about Columbus' tyrannical and brutal ways as governor of Hispaniola eventually led to his arrest in 1500. He was brought back to Spain in chains but was pardoned by King Ferdinand, who financed his final voyage in 1502.

Nevertheless, the name is now up for debate. Some prefer the historical significance of America’s discovery in 1492 while others don’t.

These images, captured by photojournalist Deena Wang are from The Bronx Columbus Day Parade, one of the hundreds held annually over this long weekend. Hundreds turned out Sunday for the Bronx Columbus Day Parade, one of the largest parades in New York. Spectators gathered to watch the festivities, dance along the route and celebrate Italian American heritage. Organizers say it's the 43rd year for the parade, which grows larger every year.

‪Columbus Day Or Indigenous Peoples' Day? https://n.pr/2IEMWgJ

#Columbus Day gets dropped in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day in more parts of the #USA https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/08/us/columbus-day-vs-indigenous-peoples-da…

Stop scapegoating Christopher Columbus https://nypost.com/2019/10/13/stop-scapegoating-christopher-columbus/?u…

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Depends Where You Are http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/AAIIIx8?ocid=st2

‪New Mexico, Maine and other states are celebrating their first #IndigenousPeoplesDay as part of a trend to move away from a day honoring Christopher Columbus. Some states honoring indigenous people instead of Columbus https://apnews.com/32759d8251a14b22974c3fe00bfbd6e0