Attending powwows, marches, parades, reading books, or signing petitions are ways to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The celebration idea was first proposed in 1977 during the Geneva United Nations Conference. In 1992, a group instituted Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Berkeley, California.

It is observed on the second Monday in October. This year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on Oct. 10. This holiday is meant to be a day to recognize the contributions of Native Americans throughout history.

“For some people, it’s also a day to not just recognize their contributions, but also their resistance to the discrimination and the treatment they suffered,” said U.S. History teacher, Rafael Ramos.

On Oct. 8, 2021, President Joe Biden issued the first Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, . . . and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations,” wrote Biden.

More than 12 states and hundreds of local governments have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Gavin Newson, Governor of the State of California, proclaimed Oct. 10 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Many other improvements have come together to fight for the removal of the still current federal holiday, Columbus Day, to be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The city of Santa Ana hosted an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Saturday, Oct. 8. This event took place in the Plaza of the Sun from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

There were guest speakers, food vendors, merchandise vendors, and family activities. The attendees also received live music performances from Indigenous bands: Blackbird, The Natives Blues Band, and more. All of them used the stage to speak up about Indigenous People, their contributions, and the misinformation children are continuously taught.

“You can stand with us or move out of our way ’cause we’re not stopping,” said Cody Blackbird while performing on stage.