UNM students gathered in the Student Union Building on the Columbus Day federal holiday with a clear request for their school’s administration – honor the Indigenous people and cultures of New Mexico by changing the 2nd Monday in October to “Indigenous Day” on UNM’s campus.

Since 1934 the U.S. has officially recognized Columbus Day, though not without contention. To our north, the annual Columbus Day parade in Denver draws counter-protests each year, and South Dakota voted in 1989 to rename the holiday Native American Day.

Monday’s noon event was hosted by the UNM Native American Studies Indigenous Research Group (NASIRG), now in their 6th year celebrating Indigenous Day with events throughout the day on campus. NASIRG Co-chair Wyndsor Yazzie was pleased with the turnout, which included students from diverse backgrounds. “Our goal is to use this petition calling for the observance of Indigenous Day to our administration to bring together all student groups, to make this an issue of our idenity and values as a community, not just a Native [American] issue,” he stated.

“I think having the name of the holiday changed is bigger than people realize – it is a step toward a more honest way of telling the story of our country, of giving the First Peoples of this land a place in that story,” said Eudora Claw, a Navajo student who attended the event.

Of those in attendance was Jozi DeLeon, UNM vice president of equity and inclusion. “I told the students that I thought it was really the right idea to declare the celebration of Columbus Day as the celebration of Indigenous Day instead,” DeLeon said. “I think celebrating Columbus Day just doesn’t make sense, given the fact that American Indians have existed in this country long before Columbus ever landed on the shores of what is now the United States.”

While there was no protests at the noon event, and no one I spoke to was opposed to changing the holiday’s name and focus it is clear that many people disagree with replacing the current holiday with Indigenous Day. Response to the Monday article in the Daily Lobo about Indigenous Day was contentious, bordering on abrasive (See blog comments to UNM Daily Lobo article here). In 2007, the proposal to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Day came before the NM Legislature, spearheaded by the efforts of a UNM law student, Suzanne Martinez. The legislation stalled at that time, with a variety of reasons for opposition. Rep. Paul Bandy, R – San Juan, said at the time, “I don’t think it’s appropriate…it would be a slap in the face to the relatives of Columbus – Hispanics and Italians.”

At the event, NASIRG leaders also stated their plan to re-approach the issue of Indigenous Day at the state level, with a goal to pass legislation in the near future.