Bill would establish Indigenous Peoples' Day holiday in Minnesota

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota House is considering legislation that would replace Minnesota’s existing Columbus Day holiday with Indigenous Peoples' Day.

A bill introduced by Rep. Heather Keeler, DFL-Moorhead, would change the name of Columbus Day in Minnesota law and require state and local governments to recognize it as a holiday. The executive branch does not currently recognize Columbus Day as an official holiday and other branches and subdivisions of government can decide whether to observe the day.

The move is part of a national push to rename the holiday celebrating Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer whose expeditions to the Americas ushered in an era of European colonization. Proponents of changing the day's name to honor Indigenous people argue Columbus' brutality toward America's original inhabitants should not be celebrated.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/minnesota/bill-would-establish-indigenous-peoples-day-holiday-in-minnesota