What is Indigenous Peoples' Day?

12 October 1492 is the date Christopher Columbus first landed in the Americas, making contact with the Lucayan people of the Bahamas. The day has been commemorated across the Americas since the 18th century under various names: Columbus Day in the United States, Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) across much of Latin America, and Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Heritage Day) in Spain.

From the mid-20th century, growing recognition of the devastating impact of European colonisation on indigenous peoples led to calls to reframe the holiday. In 1992 — the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival — several countries began shifting emphasis toward indigenous cultures and histories. The United States, under President Biden, officially proclaimed the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2021, though Columbus Day remains on the federal calendar.

Today the holiday is observed under different names with different emphases depending on the country. In Bolivia it is Día de la Descolonización (Decolonisation Day); in Argentina, Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity); in Venezuela, Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance). The date remains the subject of active cultural and political debate across the Americas.