Two Holidays, One Complex History: Voice Of The Township
Regardless of where you live in the United States and which side of the issues you stand on, the second Monday of October is an observance of a holiday. For some that day celebrates the indigenous peoples or Native Americans of the country. For others it commemorates the landing on October 12, 1492 of Christopher Columbus in the Americas.
The first Columbus Day celebration took place on October 12, 1792, when the Columbian Order of New York, better known as Tammany Hall, held an event to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the historic landing. Many Italian Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage and not of Columbus himself. Despite it being a national holiday and a celebration of Italian heritage, the observance of Columbus Day in the United States began to decline at the end of the 20th century, although Americans continue to celebrate it.
These days, Columbus Day is probably the most inconsistently celebrated of the U.S. holidays. It is one of eleven official federal holidays, which means federal workers get a paid day off and there’s no mail delivery. Because federal offices will be closed, so will most banks and the bond markets that trade in U.S. government debt. The stock markets, however, will remain open as will most retailers and other businesses. Beyond that, Columbus Day seems to be fading as a widely observed holiday, having come under fire in recent decades from Native American advocates and others, who’ve argued that Christopher Columbus is not an appropriate person to celebrate.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is an official city and state holiday in various localities. It began as a counter-celebration held on the same day as the federal holiday of Columbus Day.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day was instituted in Berkeley, California, in 1992, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas in 1492. Starting in 2014, many other cities and states adopted the holiday. In 2021, Joe Biden formally commemorated the holiday with a presidential proclamation, becoming the first U.S. president to do so, and presidential proclamations have also been issued in 2022 and 2023. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not a recognized holiday under U.S. Federal Law.
The Wayne Township Trustee Office will be open on Monday, October 14th. For several years now we have remained open on Columbus Day and on the February holiday of President’s Day. We make up for that by giving our staff off on two other days of the year—the Friday after Thanksgiving and a day either before or after Christmas. For the past several years the Wayne Township Trustee has operated under the understanding that, under the Indiana law, township offices should not be closed two business days in a row. That is so citizens in need don’t have to wait too long for assistance. We have always kept a ‘skeleton’ crew on duty on the second of those consecutive days off—the Friday after Thanksgiving and the additional day by Christmas. Members of our management team take turns working those days to make sure we are always on hand in case of need. But as for October 14th, it’s a regular day of business here at the township.
While some people may think of Columbus as a hero—Italian-Americans, for example, are proud that Columbus—an Italian himself—was one of the first explorers of the New World. Others see things differently. The Americas were not empty of people when Columbus landed, and he and his crews did not treat kindly the Native Americans he encountered.
It is our belief that the thoughts and perspectives of all citizens should be taken into account in government. That’s where education comes into play. Once again, the point is made that the more we know about our history and our culture the better the chance that we will come down on the best side of all our issues.
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