Indigenous Peoples Day would replace Columbus Day in Maryland if a bill is passed in the General Assembly during that legislature.
At a hearing on Thursday, members of various interest groups testified for and against the bill, which is due to come into force on October 1, 2021.
Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Bill SB0421 and its cross-file HB0157 would replace references to government education, commercial law, financial institutions and general regulations.
When Columbus came to America, a way of life was shattered, said Natalie Proctor, tribal leader of the Cedarville Wild Turkey Clan of the Piscataway Tribe.
Many Europeans were excited to come to the “New World” and gain access to food, land and education, Proctor said in a written testimony shared with the Capital News Service.
However, this “American dream” was not created by Columbus, Proctor said.
“Instead, it was all because of the sacrifice of the indigenous people,” she said.
This bill is important to show that indigenous peoples are not a thing of the past and not just living in history books, Jennifer Folayan testified on Thursday. Folayan is of Cherokee, Pueblo, and Aztec descent and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore American Indian Center.
“Too often our history is erased,” said Folayan.
However, opponents of the law argue that it would obliterate another side of history.
There were some great things Columbus did, said Bill Martin, chairman of the Associated Italian American Charities of Maryland. He was an inspiration for Italians to come to America in the 30s and 40s, Martin testified on Thursday.
“If you change that, it will be all positive to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, but what is happening is that you are hurting a whole other ethnic group,” Martin said.
The bill takes away a public holiday that Italian Americans celebrate their heritage, said former Senator John Pica, president of Columbus Celebrations, who organizes the Columbus Day parade in Baltimore.
There should be an indigenous peoples day, but if Maryland has one it shouldn’t take anything away from another group of people, Pica said.
Protesters toppled Baltimore’s Christopher Columbus statue on July 4th last year, signaling to the state that many people believe this man shouldn’t be celebrated at all.
When people start changing holidays and statues, remember that it will go on and there will always be a holiday or figure that people will find a reason to come after after, Martin said in the hearing.
Bill sponsor Senator Obie Patterson, D-Prince George, said 15 other states have a common feast day in October and asked what witnesses think of it as a possible solution.
While she would support a day celebrating Italian-American heritage, Folayan said a combined day was problematic because of the continued association with Columbus.
A committee of the House of Representatives is to hear the bill of this chamber on Tuesday.
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This article was made available to The Associated Press by the University of Maryland’s Capital News Service.
