LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence may soon join a growing number of cities that use Columbus Day to honor the contributions and culture of Native Americans. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a measure the City Commission is taking up Tuesday would dub the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day. The federal holiday on that day commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. But campaigns nationwide have complained that the holiday overlooks a painful history of colonialism and land grabs. A renaming push gathered momentum last year in Lawrence. Students at Haskell Indian Nations University helped lead 300 people on a march to City Hall, where a citywide indigenous peoples' celebration was declared. The resolution commissioners are considering would make the celebration an annual one.
To see more photos from the October 7, 2015 Indigenous Peoples Day Proclamation Walk in Lawrence, click here.
