'Indigenous People's Day' offends Italian-Americans celebrating Columbus

The American cities of Seattle and Minneapolis are celebrating their first Indigenous Peoples’ Day today – the latest in a number of cities to choose Columbus Day as the day to remember the harm done to indigenous tribes during colonization. Problem solved? Not exactly – at least not in Seattle, where a backlash has built, even though the holiday-doubling measure passed the city council unanimously. Some Italian-Americans are arguing the decision to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the same day as Columbus Day denigrates the accomplishments of their culture.

We empathize with the death and destruction of the Native Americans…But we think right now this is almost going too far in terms of political correctness.

Ralph Fascitelli, Italian-American activist

Among paid holidays in the United States, Columbus Day has long been the most controversial. The historically problematic holiday – Columbus never actually set foot on the continental U.S. ­– has made an increasing number of people wince, given the enslavement and genocide of Native American people that followed in the wake of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Berkeley, Calif., was the first US city to change the name of the holiday in 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage. South Dakota was the earliest adopter in the country: The state has celebrated Native American Day since 1990.