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Columbus Day Now Indigenous Peoples’ Day In San Francisco

REUTERS/Paul Hanna

David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
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San Francisco is the latest city to turn its back on explorer Christopher Columbus.

As Fox News reports, the city’s board of supervisors voted 10-1 on Tuesday to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Proponents of the change argue that Columbus did not discover America because native peoples were already living on the continent.

Board member Malia Cohen spearheaded the proposal that passed by a 10-1 margin. The only voice of dissent came from Aaron Peskin, whose North Beach district still contains an Italian electorate.

The idea wasn’t being embraced by others in community. Italian Women’s club member Christina Olivolo told the San Francisco Examiner, “This is an insult to the Italians who have done so much for the city of San Francisco. And so much of what San Francisco is famous for now is because of the Italians.”

She added that “after the 1906 earthquake, it was the Italians who rebuilt this city in an impressive amount of time.”

Olivolo suggested a compromise might have been in order: dropping Columbus’s name in preference to “Italian Heritage Day,” suggesting that would ease any discomfort with the colonial exploits of the 15th century explorer.

The war on Columbus Day is trending across America, with no less than 55 cities deciding to celebrate “indigenous” culture over the arrival of Europeans to North America.

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