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Columbus Day no longer: County votes to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day

Posted at 6:53 AM, Oct 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-06 06:53:29-04

Los Angeles County will replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day as an official holiday.

Supervisors voted Tuesday to make the second Monday in October a day to commemorate Native Americans starting in 2019.

The Los Angeles Times says the motion also designates Oct. 12 as Italian American Heritage Day.

Some activists view Christopher Columbus as a symbol of genocide for native peoples.

Supervisor Hilda Solis says the move is not about erasing history, but about gaining a fuller understanding of it. Supporters say the change is long overdue and provides at least a symbolic correction to the historical narrative.

The county motion resembles one passed by the LA City Council in August.

Several U.S. cities including San Francisco, Seattle and Denver honor Native Americans in lieu of Columbus.