The first documented celebration of the day took place in Berkeley, California, on the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage.
Kate Anderson is the Director of Public Relations for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. She said, "You know Native Americans people still live today and through the years, for whatever reason, especially in textbooks and history classes, oftentimes people learn about Native American people as a thing of the past."
Anderson added, "And one of the things Indigenous Peoples Day does is it gives us an opportunity to continue to educate and allow others to understand what it is to be Native American."
Last Friday, President Biden became the first U.S. President to recognize the day formally. The State of California formally recognizes the holiday, as well as the California cities of Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, and San Fernando.
Anderson also said, "I just hope that everyone has the opportunity to just take a minute on Indigenous Peoples Day and just recognize you know the ancestors of the Native American people and the Native American people that are living in the United States today and participating the culture."
