It’s a weird time for the American calendar. If you look at your iPhone or Google Calendar on the second Monday of October, you might see "Columbus Day." Or you might see "Indigenous Peoples' Day." Maybe both. It depends on who you ask and where you live. This messy overlap has people asking about the Columbus Day name change federal status—basically, has the U.S. government officially swapped the name yet?
The short answer? No. Not officially.
But it’s way more complicated than just a "no." While the holiday remains "Columbus Day" in the U.S. Code, the vibe has shifted entirely at the executive level. We are living in a period of "holiday dualism."
The Current State of the Columbus Day Name Change Federal Debate
Congress hasn't touched the law. That’s the big sticking point. Under 5 U.S.C. § 6103, the federal holiday is still legally named after Christopher Columbus. To change that, you need an Act of Congress. A bill has to pass the House, clear the Senate, and get a presidential signature. So far, that hasn't happened.
However, since 2021, President Joe Biden has issued annual proclamations officially recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day. He was the first president to do it. It wasn't just a tweet; it was a formal document from the White House. This created a strange situation where federal employees get the day off for "Columbus Day," but the sitting President is telling the country to celebrate "Indigenous Peoples' Day."
People are confused. Honestly, it makes sense why.
If you walk into a federal building in D.C., the sign on the door might say "Closed for Columbus Day." But the press release from the Oval Office says something completely different. This "administrative workaround" is how the executive branch handles things when the legislative branch is stuck in a stalemate.
Why hasn't Congress just changed it?
Politics. It always comes down to that.
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There is a huge cultural divide here. On one side, you have groups like the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America. For them, Columbus Day isn't just about a guy in 1492; it’s about the Italian-American experience. It’s about a time when Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans and discriminated against in New York. They see the holiday as a hard-won symbol of their inclusion in American society. They aren't going to let it go without a fight.
On the other side, you have a massive movement—led by Indigenous activists like those at the Red Nation or the National Congress of American Indians—arguing that honoring a man whose arrival sparked centuries of genocide is, well, pretty messed up. They want the Columbus Day name change federal status to reflect the actual history of the land.
What the "Indigenous Peoples' Day Act" actually looks like
There have been attempts to fix this. Rep. Norma Torres and several co-sponsors have introduced the Indigenous Peoples' Day Act in previous sessions. The goal is simple: replace the name Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day in federal law.
But it sits in committee. It gathers dust.
Why? Because many politicians see it as a "no-win" issue. If they vote for it, they alienate certain constituencies. If they vote against it, they look like they’re stuck in the 1950s. Most just choose to do nothing.
The "Bottom-Up" Revolution
While the Columbus Day name change federal efforts are stalled in D.C., the rest of the country is moving fast. This is a classic example of "states as laboratories of democracy."
Over a dozen states have already made the switch or stopped celebrating Columbus Day entirely. Think about New Mexico, Maine, and Hawaii. They don't wait for a memo from the feds. Even some "purple" states have started pivoting.
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- South Dakota was actually the first. They’ve called it Native Americans' Day since 1990.
- Oregon and Vermont made the jump recently.
- Big cities like Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver—where the first Columbus Day parade actually happened in 1907—have all officially ditched the name.
It’s a patchwork. You can drive across a state line and the holiday literally changes names. That's bizarre, right? It creates a logistics nightmare for businesses operating in multiple states. One office is celebrating Italian heritage; the other is mourning colonial history.
The Italian-American Compromise?
Some people are trying to find a middle ground. There's a proposal floating around to keep Columbus Day but also create a separate Indigenous Peoples' Day.
But here’s the problem: nobody wants an 11th federal holiday because it costs the government billions of dollars in lost productivity and paid leave. The "Juneteenth" addition was a huge deal, and the appetite for adding another paid day off is pretty low in Congress right now. So, it has to be a swap. And a swap is a zero-sum game. One group wins, the other feels like they lost.
What it means for you and your business
If you’re a business owner or an HR manager, the lack of a Columbus Day name change federal decision is a headache. You have to decide what to call it in your company handbook.
Most modern tech companies and "Forward-looking" corporations have already updated their internal calendars to Indigenous Peoples' Day. They see it as a PR win and a way to signal inclusivity. Others just call it "Fall Holiday" to stay out of the line of fire.
The reality is that "Columbus Day" is fading from the cultural lexicon even if it stays in the law books. Public schools are the biggest indicator. If you have kids, check their school calendar. I’d bet money it says Indigenous Peoples' Day or "No School." When the next generation grows up calling it one thing, the federal law will eventually have to catch up.
The Nuance Nobody Talks About
We often treat this as a binary choice. Columbus: Good or Bad? Indigenous History: Acknowledged or Ignored?
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But there’s a deeper historical irony here. Columbus never actually set foot in North America. He landed in the Caribbean and Central/South America. The only reason he became a "U.S. Hero" was because the early American republic wanted to distance itself from England. They couldn't celebrate British explorers, so they grabbed a Genoese guy sailing for Spain.
The holiday wasn't even federal until 1934. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law mostly to court the Italian-American vote during a rough election cycle. It was a political move then, and the resistance to changing it is a political move now.
Real-world impact of the name change
Is this all just "woke" semantics? Not really.
For Native American communities, the Columbus Day name change federal push is about visibility. It’s about the Department of the Interior—now led by Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary—officially recognizing that the "Discovery of America" is a myth. You can't discover a place where people were already living, building cities, and farming.
When the name changes, the curriculum in schools usually follows. When the curriculum follows, the way we treat tribal sovereignty and land rights starts to shift. It’s a domino effect.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Change
Since the federal government is basically in a "wait and see" mode, the burden of how to handle this falls on individuals and local leaders.
- Verify your local jurisdiction. Since federal law hasn't changed, check your state’s official holiday list. This affects things like parking meters, garbage pickup, and state court dates. Don't assume that because Biden signed a proclamation, the local post office is using the new name.
- Audit your internal documents. If you run a team, look at your "Holiday Pay" section. To avoid controversy, many are moving toward "Floating Holidays." This lets employees choose which cultural milestones they want to observe.
- Understand the 5 U.S.C. § 6103 limits. If you are a federal contractor, your contracts are tied to the legal name of the holiday. Until Congress acts, your paperwork should probably still reference Columbus Day to ensure legal compliance, even if your company culture uses the new name.
- Follow the "Indigenous Peoples' Day Act" progress. Keep an eye on the Library of Congress (Congress.gov) for updates on HR 9277 or similar bills. That is the only place where the "official" change will happen.
The Columbus Day name change federal saga is a perfect window into how America works—or doesn't work. It’s a mix of executive orders, stalled legislation, and a culture that is moving way faster than its government. We are in a transitional period. Eventually, the law will reflect the reality on the ground. Until then, check your calendar twice.
The name change isn't just a label; it's a reflection of who we think we are as a country. And right now, we haven't quite made up our minds.