Every year on the second Monday of October, the federal government recognizes Columbus Day as a federal holiday, a day which others recognize as Indigenous Peoples Day. This year, the holidays were recognized on Oct. 14.
However, the origins of Columbus Day, and its modern day relevance, are frequently debated.
According to the Library of Congress, Columbus Day was originally created to commemorate the arrival of Christopher Columbus to North America on Oct. 12, 1492. It officially became a federally observed holiday in 1971, though, later it was designated for the second Monday of October every year.
In 1990, South Dakota became the first state to officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, honoring the roughly 51,000 Indigenous people in the state, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Today, data from Pew Research Center shows that 16 states recognize the holiday as Columbus Day, while four states and two territories exclusively call it Indigenous Peoples Day.
At Seton Hall, there is no indication for either holiday on the academic calendar.
Dr. Monica N. Burnette, the vice president of the Division of Student Services, explained that the calendar balances varying aspects to satisfy both students and educational needs.
“Our academic calendar is thoughtfully constructed to balance educational requirements, federal holidays, and our community's diverse needs within the finite number of academic days each semester,” Dr. Burnette said. “While Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day is not designated as a university holiday, we recognize and celebrate both observances through various campus initiatives and programming.”
Instead of recognizing any holiday specifically, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Burnette and Rev. John J. Ranieri, focuses on celebrating students’ individual heritage.
“We acknowledge Italian-American heritage through the Charles and Joan Alberto Italian Studies Institute's programming and events,” Dr. Burnette said. “For Indigenous perspectives and histories, our University Library maintains special collections and exhibits, and we offer academic courses and events including Native American Heritage Month in November.”
Students have their own views on the way the holiday should be celebrated and remembered.
Abigale Giordano, a freshman double majoring in diplomacy and international relations and philosophy, said she believed the holiday should reflect the two perspectives.
“I don’t see why the date can’t be both,” Giordano said. “Columbus Day isn’t in celebration of what Columbus did or who he was, it’s a celebration of Italian heritage marked by a significant figure in Italian history. However, I also believe in the celebration and recognition of the Indigenous people whose livelihoods he disrupted, as their stories deserve to be heard.”
Rachele Bifulco, a freshman political science major, shared a similar sentiment.
“I think the name for Columbus Day should specify that we are celebrating his exploration and discoveries,” Bifulco said. “It could be something like Columbus Discovery Day.”
On the other hand, Angelina Brown, a freshman marketing major, said she believes Columbus Day is antiquated.
“I personally feel that the holiday should be named after Indigenous people and not Columbus,” Brown said. “I think the holiday should be centered around the Natives who were harmed by Columbus.”
Perspectives like this are often associated with recent criticism of the United States educational system. Namely, in the lack of Native American lessons, which many students feel leaves them unaware.
Brown said she believes that her education lacked the proper teaching of Native American heritage.
“I feel like, regarding Native Americans, the school system didn’t teach me a whole lot,” Brown said. “I feel like we brushed over it during most history courses.”
A 2015 study by Penn State found that about 87% of United States education teaches pre-1900s history on Native Americans. Seventeen states were found to exclude post-1900s teachings completely, like Kansas and South Carolina.
In 2021-2022, more states such as North Dakota, Connecticut, and Minnesota worked towards more inclusive educational lessons for students on Native American history that spanned centuries.
For Brown, she is unchanged in her views of the holiday.
“Columbus wasn’t a good person, and for me, it feels like he shouldn’t be celebrated,” Brown said.
Giordano believes differently, saying she feels the holiday helps create a discussion on Columbus’s lasting impact today.
“I think changing the name of the holiday emphasizes that history has been written with bias and that it’s important to recognize the detriments of colonialism, and how those detriments are still very prevalent today,” said Giordano.
Bifulco said she sees the different perspectives that arise with the discussion on the controversial holiday.
“Changing the name might give us a more nuanced understanding of how Columbus contributed to both the Old World and the New World,” Bifulco said. “However, Columbus Day was made to help mitigate anti-Italian hate, and changing the name might take away from our understanding of its purpose in that sense.”
As part of the DEI Committee on campus, Dr. Burnette shared the committee’s goal is to encompass all students’ opinions.
“As stated in our DEI commitment, we are a community among communities, welcoming individuals from all faith traditions and from none,” Dr. Burnette said.
Kaelyn Blizard is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at kaelyn.blizard@student.shu.edu.
