Several teachers at Harvard-Westlake shared their opinions on the holiday and why they think it is important. Comparing and contrasting the two opinions shows different perspectives on these holidays.
Columbus Day was established as a federal holiday in 1892 by President Benjamin Harrison. The holiday was created to honor explorer Christopher Columbus’ 1492 arrival in the Americas. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, on the other hand, was established in 1977, more than eight decades later. According to the library display for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day is observed and celebrated annually on the second Monday in October to honor the cultures and histories of Native American peoples. Many communities in the U.S. pivot from Columbus-centric commemoration toward a recognition of Indigenous resilience.”
“I think it’s important to recognize the people that were here before us and respect their culture, traditions and ideas,” History/Social Studies teacher Rosemary Van Vlijmen said. “Columbus did not actually discover America in the way we were taught, so it feels weird to honor him with a holiday.”
“I’m happy that Indigenous Peoples’ Day has been more widely accepted because there should be more of an emphasis on celebrating the land they own,” History/Social Studies teacher Elias Solano said. “I would say I have a negative outlook on Columbus Day because Christopher Columbus didn’t discover America. Before him, there were the Vikings.”
Both Van Vlijmen and Solano share an almost identical outlook on the two holidays, and while others may view Indigenous Peoples’ Day differently, the overall consensus is that it should be expanded more widely throughout the world. More than 86% of Americans believe that Indigenous Peoples’ Day is important to U.S. history, along with more than 195 U.S. cities and 23 states replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, (YouGov).
Even with these positive outlooks, a majority of Americans (55%) are not familiar with the holiday or do not know what it is. In the future, supporters say the U.S. should work toward establishing it as a more significant holiday and increasing awareness of it, (YouGov).
