What is Indigenous Peoples Day? A day of celebration, protest and reclaiming history

By HALLIE GOLDEN and CHRISTINE FERNANDO
Associated Press

From Alcatraz Island to a park in New York City, Native American people will celebrate their centuries-long history of resilience with ceremonies, dances and speeches. The events across the U.S. come two years after President Joe Biden officially commemorated Indigenous Peoples Day. An increasing number of states and cities have also recognized the day, pivoting from a day that celebrated explorer Christopher Columbus to one focused on the people whose culture was forever changed by colonialism. Kyle Mays, an associate professor of American Indian Studies at the University of California, says Indigenous Peoples Day is about reclaiming history.