(BIVN) – A bill to replace the term “Columbus Day” with the term “Indigenous Peoples’ Day”, and make the second Monday in October a federal public holiday, was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senators from Hawaiʻi, Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, joined S. 2970, also known as the “Indigenous Peoples’ Day Act”.

Hawaiʻi already recognizes the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, rather than Columbus Day, but the day is not a state holiday.

“Indigenous Peoples’ Day gives us all an opportunity to reflect on and recognize the enduring contributions Native people have made to our country,” said Sen. Schatz, who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Recognizing this day as a federal holiday would be a meaningful step toward strengthening our commitment to Native communities, addressing past injustices, and deepening the federal trust responsibility to the Indigenous peoples of the United States.”