Calls for change: Advocates in North Dakota urge transition from First Nations Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not a legal holiday, but for the last three years, President Joe Biden has issued a federal proclamation recognizing the day in honor of American Indians across the United States. It is observed annually on the same date as Columbus Day, the second Monday of October, which falls on Oct. 14 this year.

To honor the Indigenous peoples of North Dakota and their contributions to the state, the governor delivers an annual proclamation designating the Friday before the second Monday in October as First Nations Day, which North Dakota celebrates instead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

As discussions about holiday recognition continue to evolve, advocates in North Dakota are pushing for a change from First Nations Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, emphasizing the need for a more accurate representation of the state’s Indigenous communities and their contributions, while also challenging the longstanding narratives associated with Columbus Day.

The holiday was introduced as Senate Bill 2410 in 2003 by then Senator Dennis Bercier, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas. Former senators April Fairfield, Ron Nichols, David O’Connell, Harvey Tallackson and Representative Merle Boucher co-sponsored the bill. Cheryl Kulas, an Oglala Lakota citizen who was the Executive Director of the ND Indian Affairs Commission at the time, also pushed for First Nations Day.

Prairie Rose Seminole, an MHA citizen and film director, recalled that, at the time, this was a significant milestone for North Dakota’s American Indian communities. It inspired tribes like the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation to celebrate their own recognition days on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

“He [Bercier] knew that relationships in the community and visibility mattered, and he was about to make a difference,” she said. “Instead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we didn’t really recognize that until like there was a national movement. Presidents’ Day is something that we would name ‘All Chiefs Day.’ We recognize our lineage, history and cultural roots to the region versus all these other pieces.”

Legislative efforts across the country have called for broader recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ in recent years, leading to significant national acknowledgment. In 2021, Biden became the first U.S. president to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day, issuing a proclamation each year to commemorate it. Notably, Barack Obama was the first president to mention Indigenous Peoples’ Day in a Columbus Day proclamation, doing so in 2016.

“Indigenous peoples are a beacon of resilience, strength, and perseverance as well as a source of incredible contributions,” Biden said last year. “Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations continue to practice their cultures, remember their heritages and pass down their histories from generation to generation… They challenge all of us to celebrate the good, confront the bad and tell the whole truth of our history.”

More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia now recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Additionally, at least twelve states, along with Washington D.C., do not celebrate Columbus Day. These states are Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. For example, South Dakota observes the holiday as Native American Day instead.

This shift away from Columbus Day in various states reflects a growing conversation about the appropriateness of holiday names, prompting legislators to question the name of the holiday. The term “First Nations” was officially adopted by the Canadian government in the 1980s to refer to Indigenous peoples in Canada. Many Indigenous people prefer the term “Indigenous” as it emphasizes unity among diverse Native communities.

“I wasn’t aware this [SB 2410] was already codified, because I wanted to change it,” said District 9A Representative Jayme Davis. “It’s something that has to go through the legislative process. First Nations is more of a Canadian type of reference to Indigenous people so, even that is kind of like not for me, in my opinion as a community member and as an Indigenous person.”

The Turtle Mountain citizen stated that Indigenous Peoples’ Day should be a time to honor Natives and educate others about the history of the state’s tribes. While she wishes for the holiday to replace Columbus Day in North Dakota, which is still celebrated in the state subsequent to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, she encourages the community to strive for more.

“We get what we can but we have to keep pushing, we have to keep going after what we deserve,” she said. “And to me, that’s having Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day, because we are the first people of these lands. Anything else that’s being said beyond that is just false.”

District 4A Representative Lisa Finley-DeVille remembers having a conversation with a friend when she was a little girl, questioning why Indigenous Peoples’ Day wasn’t celebrated instead of Columbus Day. “Columbus did not find us –– We’ve always been here,” she said. “We’re finally getting recognition and we’ve always been here.”

Finley-DeVille stated that it would be more accurate to rename “First Nations Day” to Indigenous’ Peoples Day. She also expressed a desire for the holiday to be observed on what is traditionally known as Columbus Day. “[What] I want to do is a proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a state holiday,” she said.

If re-elected in the upcoming election cycle, Davis emphasized the need for legislative changes regarding First Nations Day. “I believe it’s definitely something we need to address,” she said.

Seminole emphasized the need for greater education about First Nations Day. She believes that the significance of the holiday should be taught in schools in a culturally respectful and appropriate manner, avoiding cultural appropriation. Above all, she wants to convey to legislators that more action is necessary.

“There should be more awareness around it coming from the governor’s office, coming from our legislative leaders and how we can celebrate that at the local level,” Seminole said. “How are we really engaging with our Indigenous peoples in the state and celebrating the way that Indigenous peoples want to celebrate, right? We’re not asking those questions.”

The MHA citizen plans to use this day as a time for rest. For those looking to learn more about the state’s tribes, she urges others to visit historic sites across North Dakota. “I encourage all of our employers to take this day off,” Seminole said. “We should be exploring our backyard and visiting Knife River Indian Villages, visiting the MHA Nation Tribal Park, visiting other spaces where Indigenous narrative is integrated into that interpretation of that place.”