United States President Joe Biden received widespread support from tribal residents after he became the first U.S. president to proclaim Indigenous Peoples' Day, which aims to boost support for Native Americans across the country.
The Democratic president declared Oct. 11 to be the date when the unprecedented holiday will be celebrated along with Columbus Day, which was established by Congress. Many Native American residents were taken by surprise by Biden's announcement despite campaigning for years for recognition of the indigenous people in the country.
First-Ever Indigenous Peoples' Day
An artist and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Hillary Kempenich, considered the proclamation as "completely unexpected." She said that while many Native Americans have been discussing the issue for so long and have been wanting a solution, there was no progress recently.
Kempenich and a group of other tribal members successfully campaigned for her town of Grand Forks, N.D., in 2019 that replaced Columbus Day with the celebration of Native peoples. "For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures. Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples' resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American history," Biden said in his proclamation, the Associated Press reported.
Biden also acknowledged that Native Americans suffered greatly throughout history due to the horrific actions of European explorers. Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities experienced painful lives because of these groups. The U.S. president said it was a measure of the country's greatness to acknowledge the shameful actions of past governments and face them honestly by addressing them.
Throughout the United States, more than 11 cities, including Denver, Phoenix, Minnesota, and San Francisco, have opted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day. The holiday aims to recognize Native Americans who were displaced and decimated after Columbus and many other European explorers arrived on the continent. In 1992, Berkeley, California was the first city to adopt the holiday.
On Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden's proclamation of the Indigenous Peoples' Day did not mean the end of Columbus Day as a federal holiday. She said that the date would celebrate both of the holidays, at least for now, CNN reported.
Sharp Contrast From Trump
Biden's proclamation of Indigenous Peoples' Day was an important step forward for the United States, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund John Echohawk said. He noted that each small step was progress towards making a much bigger step.
The Democratic leader's acknowledgment of Native Americans' sufferings throughout history is also a sharp contrast to former President Donald Trump's adamant support of "intrepid heroes", including Columbus, during the latter's 2020 proclamation of the holiday.
At the time, the Republican businessman said that radical activists have, in recent years, aimed to undermine Christopher Columbus' legacy in American history. He considered the "extremists" as looking to replace the explorer's accomplishments with atrocities.
Biden's proclamation of the Indigenous Peoples' Day came on the same day of the White House's disclosure of its plan to restore its territory to two sprawling national monuments. The monuments were located in Utah and were stripped of protections by former President Trump, Yahoo News reported.
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