HoCo To Celebrate Indigenous People's Day Instead Of Columbus Day

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Instead of celebrating Columbus Day Oct. 12, Howard County will be recognizing Indigenous People's Day. Kevin Allis, CEO for the National Congress of the American Indian, applauded the move announced by County Executive Calvin Ball.

“Howard County joins the growing number of tribal nations, states, counties, cities and school districts that are honoring the true history of America. This gesture signifies that our country is in a moment of truth and remembrance and it is time to set the record straight. By casting away the inaccuracies that we’ve held onto for so long, we are honoring and celebrating the first people of this land while recognizing the thriving, vibrant American Indian and Alaska Native cultures that are present today. We encourage others to join this important movement," Allis said.

Ani Begay Auld, Navajo Nation representative, said that Indigenous Peoples Day acknowledges the "First People, the Treaty People, of the land we now call home."

“It is a first step in honestly addressing the legacies and costs of our prosperity, both imparted unevenly to this day. We do not get to choose our past, but we get to choose our values: How we live up to and celebrate them. This moment in history is our opportunity to choose, with the clarity of historical perspective as to the true measure of those long celebrated as heroes, to celebrate legacies that represent our values. Today, Howard County’s choice is local. Today we choose Civility and Indigeneity," Auld said.