National First: Alaska’s PC Governor Walker Replaces Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day

In a historical first, Alaska became the first state in the nation to replace “Columbus Day” with “Indigenous Peoples Day.” Surprising many across the state, the increasingly liberal governor declared the new name as Alaska’s Federation of Natives met in Anchorage yesterday.

Noting that “Alaska is one ‘big village,’ with over 16 percent of the State population having indigenous heritage – the highest percentage among all the United States,” the Governor praised native Alaskans. He contended that without them, “the building of the state would not be possible.” The Governor intended the name change to signal the State’s opposition to “systematic racism toward Indigenous Peoples of Alaska.”

Governor Walker also noted the role of the United Nations in his decision stating, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas.”

News of the Governor’s executive order traveled quickly across Alaska. In buildings across the state, the words “Columbus Day” were scrawled out and replaced with “Indigenous Peoples’Day,” such as in this photo of a closure notice at an Alaskan post office:

Governor Walker defended his decision noting that “Alaska joins a growing number of cities that have recognized the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day, creating an opportunity to promote appreciation, tolerance, understanding, friendship, and partnerships. . .”