Pioneer to pariah?

A growing number of cities and states in the United States of America are now observing Columbus Day, a federal holiday, as indigenous people's day.

Columbus Day is celebrated as a recognition to Italian explorer Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492. It falls on the second Monday of October.

People who want the name change say the the parades and pageantry accompanying Columbus Day overlook a painful history of colonialism, enslavement, discrimination and land grabs that followed the explorer's arrival.

Accordingly this year, the state of Vermont and the cities of Phoenix and Denver decided to change the name .

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin said the kVDFULILFH DQG FRQWULEXWLRQV RI WKH )LUVW 3HRSOHV RI WKLV ODQGy would be honoured. He wrote that the day provided an opportunity to celebrate kLQGLJHQRXV KHULWDJH DQG UHVLOLHQF\y

Phoenix became the largest city in the US to recognise indigenous people's day after a city council vote made it official on October 7 this year. Besides Phoenix and Denver, other big cities that have already changed the name include Seattle, Minneapolis and Albuquerque.

South Dakota has avoided celebrating the day as the Columbus Day since 1990. It observes the day as native Americans day.

However, not everybody has accepted the move. The administrations of Cincinnati and Oklahoma City rejected proposals to change the name.