Detroit News, Michigan Chronicle, WXYZ-TV, WWJ-AM, Detroit Free Press, 10/9; WDET-FM, 10/10
Indigenous People's Day pushed to replace Columbus
Although it's not an official city holiday, one Detroit council member is hoping to create an Indigenous People's Day in place of Columbus Day. Detroit City Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez on Tuesday intends to introduce a resolution, in partnership with a coalition of Detroit's indigenous leaders, to establish the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Columbus Day, which recognizes how Italian Christopher Columbus brought the Americas to the attention of Europe in the 1490s, is a federal holiday. The resolution seeks Mayor Mike Duggan's support and the ultimate removal of the Christopher Columbus bust in downtown Detroit in favor of monument that would pay tribute to an indigenous figure. "Recognizing the massacres Columbus unleashed on Indigenous people throughout the Americas and shifting from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day is a way to not only honor the survival and resilience of Detroit's diverse Indigenous communities today, but to also bring healing," Sandra Gonzales, an assistant professor of bilingual education at Wayne State University, said in a statement.