Virginia Democrats Will Again Try to Replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day

State Democrats plan to make Indigenous Peoples’ Day an official holiday in Virginia and will discuss the proposal in the next legislative session in January, a state delegate said over the weekend. The measure could face opposition from Republicans and others because it would mean replacing Columbus Day.

Pamunkey chieftain Cockacoeske is the only Native American woman featured in the Virginia Women’s Monument. During her time as a leader, Cockacoeske strategized with her people against attacks from Bacon’s Rebellion, provided warriors as a defense to Jamestown, appealed to the General Assembly for release of Pamunkey prisoners and restoration of property and signed the Treaty of Middle Plantation to reunite several tribes under her authority. However, some of those tribes refused to become subservient or pay tribute to her. She is depicted in her statue holding a bronze signed treaty. (Photo by VCU Capital News Service)

The next session will mark the third straight year the idea has been proposed, after Democrats failed twice to bring the matter forward in committee hearings.

On Saturday, Del. Rae Cousins, D-Richmond, announced she plans to introduce legislation in December to make Indigenous Peoples Day, which is widely observed in Virginia, an official holiday. The holiday would be observed on the second Monday in October, replacing Columbus Day, commemorating the 15th-century navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus.

While he was known for his exploration work, Columbus also paved the way for the colonization and decimation of Indigenous communities, and his legacy has come under fresh scrutiny in recent years.

“As we celebrate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I am proud to be working alongside representatives from Virginia’s Indian tribes and indigenous advocates led by The Pocahontas Project to finally establish Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an official holiday in the Commonwealth,” Cousins said in a statement on Saturday. “I am committed to sharing more honest history, uplifting marginalized communities, and celebrating underrepresented stories, and this legislation is an important next step in that ongoing process.”

President Donald Trump and members of the Knights of Columbus have publicly stated they oppose Indigenous Peoples Day replacing Columbus Day. In April, Trump criticized Democrats for “destroying” Columbus’ legacy and committed to restoring the federal holiday named after him.

Republicans and the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) have also generally opposed public efforts to eliminate Columbus Day.

“As an organization devoted to the promotion and preservation of Italian American heritage, we support unequivocally maintaining Columbus Day’s status as a federal holiday,” NIAF said. “We believe that Christopher Columbus’ courageous voyage was the catalyst that initiated over 500 years of immigration to the Americas by people from every corner of the Earth— all of whom were seeking a better life for their families.”

A recent effort to replace the name failed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Last week, a Pennsylvania court overturned a Philadelphia mayor’s executive order to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, stating he did not have the power to do so.

The Mercury reached out to Republican leaders in the statehouse for comment on the pending proposal but did not hear back by press time.

Cousins’ effort comes after Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, presented a similar proposal during the 2024 and 2025 sessions. She is partnering with The Pocahontas Project, a Richmond-based organization that leads the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Initiative, a national movement to inspire federal, state, and local governments to officially recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Democrats’ efforts to make Indigenous Peoples’ Day an official holiday build on work by former Gov. Ralph Northam, who proclaimed the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2020, to recognize the histories and cultures of Indigenous people. Though the observance stands, it is not an official state holiday.

Connor Tupponce, vice chairperson of the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium (VTEC), said the proposal would honor his ancestors and the resilience of VTEC’s tribal cultures and communities.

“It presents an opportunity for all Virginians to come together in celebration of Indigenous Peoples as living, breathing, and evolving cultures, rather than figments of history, frozen in time,” Tupponce said in a statement. “This initiative further exemplifies the longstanding relationships between the commonwealth and Tribal Nations, as well as their commitment to uplifting the voices of Indigenous Peoples for generations to come.”

The proposal’s success will likely depend on the outcome of the gubernatorial race. Democrats are seeking to regain control of the governor’s mansion and hold their slim majority in the statehouse by electing Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, while Republicans want to maintain control of the executive office by electing Republican nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears.

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