The historical fact that seems indisputable is that on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his fleet of three caravels arrived for the first time in the territory that we know today as America.
From there, the narratives and the significance of the commemorated episode have taken multiple forms and have mutated over time, but, curiously, the date remains very relevant in the calendar.
Thus, asking ourselves about the reason for conceiving of this date as a holiday or at least a relevant day in the calendar does not have a unique or simple answer.
To this are added two aspects: internally, holidays are not commemorated on the exact date but on days of the week (Mondays in general) that allow extending the holidays of Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, as in the case of the USA, a new commemorative date established on the day before the arrival of the fleet financed by the Spanish crown is added: October 11th.
Of course, these changes reflect intense social debates and demands from historically neglected groups, such as Indigenous Peoples, who, especially in the last decades of the previous century, have managed to modify the dominant narrative up to that moment.
President Biden, in the year 2021, proclaimed October 11, 2021, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, urging the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities and ordering that the flag of the United States be unfurled in all public buildings on the day designated in honor of the indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this nation.
In his proclamation, he maintained that:
“The Federal Government has a solemn obligation to lift and invest in the future of indigenous peoples and empower tribal nations to govern their own communities and make their own decisions. We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation and terror that has been waged against native communities and tribal nations across our country. Today, we recognize the important sacrifices that native peoples have made for this country, and we recognize all of their ongoing contributions to our nation.”
It is important to note that South Dakota was the first entity to celebrate Native American Day starting in 1982, followed by some cities such as Berkeley and Santa Cruz in the State of California.
However, the Day of the Indigenous Peoples is not a federal commemoration day, as if it is the “Columbus Day” Colon Day that is celebrated around October 12 (in the year 2023 on Monday, October 9).
Despite this, Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Arizona, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington D.C., as well as about 130 cities have established holidays in honor of indigenous peoples, usually called natives in the USA.
At the same time, some states have abolished Columbus Day, such as Alaska, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Vermont, Maine and Florida.
In several Latin American countries there have also been very relevant changes regarding the scope of the commemoration.
For example, in Uruguay, a law from 2014 says that the denomination of October 12 as “Day of the Race” arises from a European vision of history in attention to the Spanish colonizing contingent, which, clearly, does not agree with the prevailing sentiment in most Latin American peoples, and therefore, from that norm the date is renamed “Day of Cultural Diversity”.
In Argentina, the date was changed in 2010 as ”Day of American Cultural Diversity” by decree of the Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI). In Costa Rica, since 1994 it has been the “Day of Cultures” since recognizing that the roots of the country and of all Latin America are Spanish, indigenous and Afro-Caribbean.
In Ecuador, the “Day of Interculturality and Plurinationality with inclusion and justice” is celebrated to recognize and rectify the true meaning of the event of the date by promoting dialogue between different cultures and knowledge.
In a similar sense, Chile and Peru also renamed the date, in the first case as “Day of the Discovery of Two Worlds” and in the second as ‘Day of the Original Peoples and of the Intercultural Dialogue”. In the Dominican Republic, the date is called “Day of Diversity and Cultural Identity”.
In other countries, the commemorative emphasis was placed on the struggle and resistance of the original peoples against the conquest and for the survival of their cultures.
Since 2002, Venezuela has been commemorating the ”Day of Indigenous Resistance” vindicating both the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the contributions of African, Asian and European peoples and cultures in shaping Venezuelan nationality, in the spirit of dialogue of civilizations, peace and justice.
In Nicaragua, the date was renamed in 2007 as “Day of Indigenous, Black and Popular Resistance”,
For its part, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, changed the name of the date in 2011 from which October 12 is called “Decolonization Day in the Plurinational State of Bolivia”.
A special case is that of Guatemala where, although there have been no changes from state institutions, indigenous and social organizations refer to the date as the “Day of Indigenous Resistance” and convene commemorative activities every year.
At the basis of all these changes is the rejection of the so-called “Doctrine of Discovery” that, for centuries, justified the conquest, domination and plundering of American territory.
On March 30, 2023, through a public statement, the Vatican pointed out that the doctrine of “discovery” is not part of the Catholic conception, but that the documents related to the topic were written in a specific historical period and related to political issues, but are not part of the Catholic faith since the papal bulls of that time did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples.
The communiqué refers to the fact that, at present, there is a renewed dialogue with indigenous peoples, which has helped the Church to better understand their values and their cultures, as well as to become more aware of their sufferings, past and present, caused by the expropriation of their lands, as well as by the policies of forced assimilation, promoted by the government authorities of the time, which sought to eliminate their indigenous cultures.
In other countries, the commemorative emphasis was placed on the struggle and resistance of the original peoples against the conquest and for the survival of their cultures.
Since 2002, Venezuela has been commemorating the Day of Indigenous Resistance, vindicating both the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the contributions of African, Asian, and European peoples and cultures in shaping Venezuelan nationality, in the spirit of dialogue of civilizations, peace, and justice.
In Nicaragua, the date was renamed in 2007 as Day of Indigenous, Black, and Popular Resistance.
For its part, the Plurinational State of Bolivia changed the name of the date in 2011, from which October 12 is called Decolonization Day in the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
A special case is that of Guatemala, where, although there have been no changes from state institutions, indigenous and social organizations refer to the date as the Day of Indigenous Resistance and convene commemorative activities every year.
At the basis of all these changes is the rejection of the so-called Doctrine of Discovery, which, for centuries, justified the conquest, domination, and plundering of American territory.
On March 30, 2023, through a public statement, the Vatican pointed out that the doctrine of discovery is not part of the Catholic Church’s teaching, but that the documents related to the topic were written in a specific historical period and related to political issues. It also stated that the papal bulls of that time did not adequately recognize the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples.
The communiqué refers to the fact that, at present, there is a renewed dialogue with indigenous peoples, which has helped the Church to better understand their values and cultures, as well as to become more aware of their sufferings, past and present, caused by the expropriation of their lands, as well as by the policies of forced assimilation, promoted by the government authorities of the time, which sought to eliminate their indigenous cultures[1].
[1] https://www.lacommunis.org/vatican-the-doctrine-of-discovery-is-not-part-of-the-catholic-churchs-teaching/