The second Monday in October is recognized as Columbus Day. On this day, people honor the explorer Christopher Columbus for landing in the Americas in 1492. When the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal group, pressed this idea on President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it was formally declared a federal holiday in 1937. People used to associate the discovery of the “new” world as progression. However, today, many find this holiday to be offensive and controversial. 

In order to understand the controversy behind this holiday, one must understand the history and dark side of Christopher Columbus. Columbus came to the Americas by complete accident. He intended to find a new and more effective route from Europe to India, China, and the Spice Islands. When he first landed in the Bahamas, he called the Taíno people ‘Indians’. He was unaware that he had just encountered Native Americans. 

Additionally, his interactions with these peaceful Native Americans were not the friendliest. He tortured, punished, and sold them into slavery. Not to mention, Europeans brought diseases that nearly wiped out much of the native population. Initially, the island was home to roughly 250,000 indigenous people. There were only a few hundred left after Columbus.

This history reveals many painful truths which has sparked a movement to rename the holiday. In 1990, South Dakota changed the name to Native American Day. Other alternative names include: Indigenous Peoples’ Day and American Indian Heritage Day. 

As a Native American, I find ‘Columbus Day’ to symbolize ignorance and hate. It is an offensive celebration that completely disregards what Native Americans actually went through in history. I encourage everyone to learn more about Christopher Columbus and to be more cautious about the history and meaning behind other celebrations. People would rather ignore the dark truths of history, but it is necessary to reveal these truths in order to move forward.