"Indigenous Peoples' Day has always been an act of celebration, resistance, and truth. When we gather and organize for Indigenous Peoples' Day, we affirm that we are still here. It is a reminder that our stories did not begin with Columbus, and they do not end with the myth of American exceptionalism and conquest. But today, it carries an urgency we can't ignore."
"In the proclamation, Trump made no mention of Indigenous people, unless you count the mention of a "vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage." The wording of Trump's phrase echoes a similar line in the Declaration of Independence, which accuses King George III of acting against the colonists who opposed British rule by colluding with "the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.""
Indigenous Peoples' Day functions as celebration, resistance, and affirmation of continued Native presence, rejecting narratives that begin with Columbus or end in conquest. The current political climate raises questions about U.S. citizenship legitimacy through attempts to end birthright citizenship, threatening immigrants and Native nations. On October 9, 2025, Trump issued a Columbus Day proclamation praising Columbus as "a visionary," urging honor for Western civilization values while omitting Indigenous people except to decry a "vicious and merciless campaign" to erase history. The proclamation echoes colonial rhetoric from the Declaration of Independence and reframes colonization as destiny.
Read at Truthout
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