SMC Celebrates its First Indigenous Peoples' Day

Santa Monica College's (SMC) Associated Students (A.S.) are currently planning the school's first Indigenous Peoples' Day event on the main campus. A.S. hopes to bring an event that focuses more on the celebration of Indigenous people rather than Christopher Columbus.

The event will be held on Monday, October 14, the same date as Columbus Day. The celebration will be a day filled with Indigenous Peoples' unique beliefs, culture, history, foods, and lifestyles.

The main event of the celebration will be a dance performance by Indigenous cultural dancers.

SMC is a melting pot of students from all walks of life. Walking around any of SMC's campuses, you are able to see that a portion of the student body is represented by Indigenous students.

Indigenous Peoples' Day has gained traction from many people who feel that the traditional Columbus Day is an unfair representation of United States history. The traditional Columbus Day holiday only celebrates the state of the land once Columbus arrived on North American soil.

Indigenous Peoples' Day aims to showcase the pre-Columbian life that existed on the continent, and that still continues to exist though it no longer thrives like it did before the arrival of Columbus.