Campuses Shift From Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day

College students walking on campus with books and backpacks — Photo: Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock

On campuses nationwide, renaming Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day is spreading, even as federal proclamations link Columbus Day to a painful chapter of anti-Italian discrimination.

Story Highlights

Universities continue to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day on campus calendars.
Federal proclamations tie Columbus Day to the 1892 response after 11 Italian Americans were lynched in New Orleans.
Campus leaders say the change honors Native peoples and confronts harms tied to colonization.
The clash reflects a wider fight over how public institutions remember history and identity.

What Changed On Campus Calendars This October

Boston University, Brown University, and other schools have moved their October observance from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in recent years. University statements describe the shift as part of building a more inclusive community and teaching a fuller history of the Americas. Students and faculty at several campuses backed the change through votes or advisory groups. Many events now highlight Indigenous history, culture, and the impact of European settlement on Native communities.

Supporters on campuses say the October date can better honor Indigenous communities who lived here long before the 1492 voyage. They point to violence, forced removal, and loss of land that followed contact with Europe. Faculty and city officials near major universities have framed the rename as a way to “reclaim” the day for Native peoples who suffered after European arrival. Advocates argue that institutions should stop celebrating a figure whose voyages opened an era of colonization.

Why Columbus Day Matters To Italian Americans

White House and presidential records have tied Columbus Day to Italian American identity and to past discrimination. Proclamations explain that President Benjamin Harrison called for a Columbus commemoration in 1892 following the lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891. Later, Congress advanced national recognition of the holiday, and Italian American groups championed it as a symbol of heritage and belonging during a time of bias and exclusion.

Italian American advocates say removing the name “Columbus” from the day erases a key marker of their history. They stress that the holiday grew during periods when Italian immigrants faced harsh treatment in the United States. Some argue that schools and cities can honor Indigenous peoples on another day without stripping Italian Americans of a rare public celebration of their community’s story. Local debates often return to this idea of coexistence rather than replacement.

Two Truths In Tension: Inclusion And Erasure

University leaders describe the rename as inclusion, not exclusion, with a focus on education about colonization and its costs. Native leaders and scholars cite the abuse of Indigenous peoples, the spread of deadly disease, and the rise of forced labor after contact. At the same time, federal documents set out that Columbus Day also carries meaning born of bigotry faced by Italian Americans, which makes the loss of the name feel like a fresh slight to some families. This is why the same policy reads as healing to one group and erasure to another.

The result is a broader test for public institutions. Schools are stewards of civic memory. When they change names or observances, they pick winners and losers in how history is told. That choice lands in a climate where many Americans believe powerful institutions ignore everyday people. On this issue, both sides point to real harms in the past and ask to be seen. The hard work is honoring both truths without sliding into a zero-sum fight.

What To Watch Next

Expect more campuses to keep Indigenous Peoples’ Day while adding separate events to mark Italian American heritage. City and state moves may mirror that approach. Advocates for coexistence see room for both remembrances in October, tied to a shared goal: teach accurate history while respecting living communities. For readers, the key is this: when a calendar changes, ask whether the institution also built space to preserve the other community’s story in public view.