Proposal for the Establishment of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

As a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are calling on Fairfax County
Public schools to transition from acknowledging Columbus Day, and instead celebrate
Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The land on which this nation rests had been occupied by Indigenous Peoples for thousands of
years prior to the arrival of Europeans on these shores. Indigenous Peoples have been and
continue to be the victims of prejudice and systematic discrimination as a result of 500 years of
oppression and violence that began with European colonization, and it extends to the
systematic oppression Indigenous People throughout the Americas face today. Columbus’
arrival in the Carribbean in 1492 opened the door for the European colonialism that brought
about the destruction of the communities and people of Indigenous peoples in the Americas,
which includes the 50,000 Indigenous people of Virginia. Instead of celebrating this legacy of
genocide, our community should celebrate the many contributions made to the Nation through
recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, science, philosophy, and culture.

Recognizing the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day is one way that we as a
county can work towards ​Caring Culture by “...fostering a responsive, caring, and inclusive
culture where all feel valued, supported, and hopeful.”1 With the number of indigenous people
from Central and South America continually growing in Fairfax County and in the DMV area,
joining in the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a step in the process of fostering an
inclusive, equitable, and just community for all.

Additionally, the board should provide the schools with directives and resources for teachers
and administrators to discuss the truthful narrative behind both the history and contributions
of Indigenous People, as well as the devastating consequences of colonization as the ultimate

1
​https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/strategic-plan
result of Columbus’ arrival.2 Also, the school board should advocate for the County board and
State legislature to pass a resolution also recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the county and
state level. By doing so, the county would join 6 states, over 130 municipalities, and many
educational institutions, including the neighboring cities of Alexandria and Washington DC,
which have officially moved to remove Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ day.

A few other examples:

Alexandria
https://www.alexandriava.gov/news_display.aspx?id=111262

Washington, DC
https://dcist.com/story/19/10/09/this-columbus-day-d-c-will-celebrate-indigenous-peoples-da
y-instead/

Virginia Tech
https://www.wvtf.org/post/vt-recognize-indigenous-peoples-day

Richmond
https://wtop.com/virginia/2019/10/virginia-capital-to-recognize-indigenous-peoples-day/amp/

2
See ​https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/people-vs-columbus/​, for just one example of a way to do
so.