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- By Levi Rickert
Opinion. It’s a good day to be Indigenous.
Yes, even now. Even after what we witnessed this past week when the White House issued a proclamation for Columbus Day and failed to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Even with the return of a presidential administration that has made no secret of its disdain for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. And even though white nationalists continue to grumble at the idea of honoring Indigenous peoples at all—yes, it is still a good day to be Indigenous.
Being Indigenous doesn’t depend on who sits in the Oval Office. It doesn’t hinge on whether a president utters the words “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” or if federal websites decide to scrub Native achievements from their pages. Our strength is not defined by visibility in colonial spaces. Our strength comes from something much older, deeper, and more enduring.
We are still here.
Let’s talk about what happened. This past Thursday, the White House only released a proclamation for Columbus Day — nothing for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which has now been recognized in some form by more than 20 states and over 130 cities and towns. That silence was loud. But it wasn’t surprising.
After all, this is the same administration that stormed back into office declaring war on DEI initiatives. Federal agencies began purging mentions of contributions by people of color. Even the Defense Department — prior to renaming itself the Department of War — removed references to the Navajo Code Talkers from its website. It took serious backlash from Indian Country for them to quietly restore those mentions.
And just last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced he would not rescind the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers who killed as many as 300 Lakota people — most of them unarmed women, children and elders — at the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. The pattern is clear: This administration will honor those who committed atrocities against Native peoples while erasing the contributions of those who served with distinction.
So no, we weren’t shocked when Indigenous Peoples’ Day was erased at the federal level. But we’re also not deterred. We’ve always had to fight to be seen. And we’ve never needed permission to celebrate ourselves.
Let’s also be clear about something that gets twisted too often in this conversation: Being against honoring Columbus is not the same as being anti-Italian.
The criticism of Columbus is based on truth, not prejudice. His legacy is one of conquest, enslavement and genocide. He did not “discover” America — there were already thriving Indigenous nations across this continent thousands of years before 1492.
What Columbus did do was initiate a wave of violence that forever altered the lives of Native peoples across the Americas. This is not debatable; it is historical fact, documented by scholars, and acknowledged by many — including Italians themselves.
Some Italian Americans have come forward to say they don’t want their cultural pride tied to Columbus. And they shouldn’t have to. Italian heritage can and should be celebrated through figures who reflect the best of that culture — not through a colonizer whose name has become synonymous with suffering in Indian Country. Being against Columbus statues and Columbus Day is not an attack on Italian identity, just as opposing Confederate monuments is not an attack on Southern culture. It’s about aligning public honor with shared values — truth, justice, and respect.
Let’s also reject the false idea that opposing Columbus is anti-American. If anything, it's deeply American to confront the full truth of our history. To question who we celebrate, and why. That’s what “to form a more perfect union” is about. That’s what progress looks like.
Today, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day because it tells a more accurate story. It’s a day that recognizes the resilience of Native peoples — the original stewards of this land — and affirms our place in the present and the future, not just the past. But even if this day weren’t on the calendar, we would still be here, still celebrating our cultures, still fighting for our rights, and still loving our people.
Because every day is a good day to be Indigenous.
We carry forward languages that were nearly lost. We raise our children with teachings that go back generations. We protect sacred lands and sacred stories. We organize, vote, protest, create, lead, teach, and thrive. And we do it all while navigating the ongoing realities of colonization, invisibility, and erasure.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not just a counterpoint to Columbus Day—it’s a declaration. A refusal to be erased. A reminder that we are more than what happened to us. We are who we have always been.
So yes, even though the powers that be chose not to recognize us this year, we still recognize ourselves. We always have.
Today and every day, it’s a good day to be Indigenous.
Thayék gde nwéndëmen - We are all related.
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