10/12/2026
Today, Monday, October 12, is a federal holiday.
Many folks might not even realize this were it not for the lack of mail delivery, most financial institutions not open for business, and many government offices being closed.
This day though, has a difficult history.
For many it is Columbus Day, named after Christopher Columbus. That has been its official federal designation since 1937, though its acknowledgement goes back decades prior.
For others, it is Indigenous People's Day. Eighteen states, along with Washington DC and American Samoa, now use that designation for this day. Numerous cities across the nations also use it.
How this naming disagreement came to pass, and continues to be debated, is a decades-long story of advocacy and passionate disagreements.
The two articles linked below help tell part of the story:
https://www.history.com/articles/indigenous-peoples-day-history
https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-12/
MCHS strives to acknowledge and better tell the stories of the area's Indigenous inhabitants. There is much that happened here pre-European settlement, and that history is just as relevant.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates the culture, history and contributions of Native Americans. The holiday is usually...
