Should Minnesota make Indigenous Peoples Day a state holiday?
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
For the first time Minneapolis is celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day.
In April, the city renamed the holiday commonly known as Columbus Day:
"We discovered Columbus, lost on our shores, sick, destitute, and wrapped in rags. We nourished him to health, and the rest is history," said Lakota activist Bill Means. "He represents the mascot of American colonialism in the western hemisphere. And so it is time that we change a myth of history."
Columbus Day is a federal holiday but not a state-enforced one, so businesses in Minnesota can choose whether or not they will remain open. The City of St. Paul, for example, remained open as usual today.
News Cut's Bob Collins calls Columbus Day "a holiday for people who don't know history," as complicated as the history itself.
Today's Question: Should Minnesota recognize Indigenous Peoples Day as a state holiday?
Support Local News
When breaking news happens, MPR News provides the context you need. Help us meet the significant demands of these newsgathering efforts.