By Bob Katzen

A bill filed by Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) would designate the second Monday in October, now known as Columbus Day, as Indigenous Peoples Day and recommend appropriate exercises in schools to acknowledge the history of genocide and discrimination against Indigenous people.

The State Administration Committee held a hearing on the proposal on June 4 but has not yet taken action on the measure. This year, Columbus Day is on October 13 so any name change, if approved, would have to wait until 2026 to take effect.

“Christopher Columbus did not discover the Americas,” says Comerford. “That long-perpetuated myth — rooted in racism and violence — has allowed generations to credit a European man with discovering a land already teeming with societies. Indigenous communities and tribal nations in the commonwealth and across the United States call us to act. It is thanks to their courageous truth-telling that we recognize Columbus’ legacy of colonization as one not worthy of memorialization or celebration.”

She continued, “Massachusetts remains one of only 15 states that still singularly observes the second Monday in October as Columbus Day. Currently, 35 U.S. states and territories have chosen a different path — recognizing Native American or Indigenous Peoples Day solely or in conjunction with Columbus Day, or by moving away from the holiday altogether. In 2021, Former President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples Day. It’s time for Massachusetts to do the same. Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day is an act of respect, recognition, and reconciliation. It honors the first stewards of this land — past, present, and future.”