Native leaders respond to Trump refusing to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day

Native leaders say President Trump’s recent announcement that he will not recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and will bring Columbus Day “back from the ashes” highlights the ongoing need to advocate for Indigenous representation during Trump’s second term, according to reporting by the Associated Press.

Jonathan Nez, former president of the Navajo Nation, said the move disregards the hard-fought recognition of Native sovereignty and “takes us back in time.” Montana state Sen. Shane Morigeau, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, has introduced a bill to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day in the state alongside Columbus Day. He emphasized the goal is not to erase history but to teach it accurately. Bryan Newland, former Interior official and a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe), said the fight for recognition is generational and will persist beyond any administration.