Columbus Day could change to Indigenous Peoples' Day in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Indigenous Peoples' Day is replacing the Columbus Day holiday in cities around the country, and South Lake Tahoe could be next.

During their meeting on Tuesday, June 18, the City Council will vote on a resolution to rename the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day in South Lake Tahoe. The first city to rename the holiday was Berkeley in 1992, followed by Santa Cruz in 1994 and since then cities across the country, as well as whole states, are adopting the new holiday.

Columbus Day has traditionally honored the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus but many people now reject celebrating him, saying that he represents the violent history of the colonization in the Western Hemisphere. Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors the Native Americans and commemorates their shared history and culture.

South Lake Tahoe resident Reid Reichardt has been before the Council on a few occasions to ask them to rename Columbus Day. He was unsuccessful in 2018 and the then Council declined to change the name. At that time the City had conducted a poll on the subject and 594 responded. While almost 74 percent said they'd heard of Indigenous Peoples' Day, only 38 percent said "yes" to changing the name and 63 percent said “no.” The Council at that time said they didn't think the residents were ready for a change.

In the planned resolution, the City would recognize "that the Indigenous Peoples of the lands that would later become known as the Americas have occupied these lands since time immemorial. The City recognizes the fact that Lake Tahoe is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region, without whom the building of the City would not have been possible."

The Washoe Indians once called the Lake Tahoe Basin home and summered in the region long before John C. Fremont came through with his team.

"The City values the many contributions made to our community through Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosophy, arts and the deep cultural contribution that has substantially shaped the character of the City of South Lake Tahoe," continues the resolution.

The City Council meeting on Tuesday begins at 5:30 p.m. at Council Chambers at the airport.