When Is Indigenous Peoples' Day? (history.com)

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For the third year in a row, the United States will officially observe Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans. In 2023, the holiday falls on Monday, October 9.

While the Joe Biden administration has officially recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day since 2021, it is not yet a federal holiday. More than a dozen states recognize some version of the holiday in place of Columbus Day. Some states and cities, however, still celebrate Columbus Day or Italian Heritage Day.

There has been some effort to formally designate Indigenous Peoples’ Day a federal holiday. The Indigenous Peoples' Day Act, reintroduced in Congress on October 2, 2023, would designate the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day nationwide.

“Our country has long failed to recognize and acknowledge its dark history of erasure and harm brought upon the first inhabitants of the Americas,” said California Congresswoman Norma Torres in a statement. “By designating Indigenous Peoples’ Day a federal holiday, we take a small but important step toward recognizing the injustices in our nation’s history and uplifting the vibrant traditions, history, and culture of all Indigenous communities—an integral part of the cultural fabric of the United States.”

The bill currently has 56 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 11 cosponsors in the Senate.