Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - In addition to or instead of celebrating Columbus Day, many states in the U.S. are recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day. A bill has now surfaced in the New York State Senate Rules Committee looking to substitute Columbus Day.
Columbus Day has been highly criticized in recent years, critics of the Columbus say that he is not the true discoverer of America and that Columbus Day is a "celebration of genocide." In 1990, Indigenous People's Day was created as part of a larger movement to see a more complete and accurate history of the United States taught in our schools and public spaces of Native Americans.
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New York State Assemblyman Angelo Morinello (R,C,I-Niagara Falls), is very much opposed to the replacement of the nationally recognized holiday, "What they are trying to do is use 2022 standards to judge over 500 years ago," says Morinello. "They want to cancel my heritage for a political narrative."
In Buffalo years ago, a statue stood of Christopher Columbus stood on Porter Avenue and was taken down by city officials to prevent vandalism of the statue. Statues of the explorer were vandalized around the country as protest to the Columbus' impact on the indigenous population.
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Morinello is not an opposer of Indigenous People's Day, "If they want to honor, which I believe we should, the indigenous, let's give them their own day. Let's not steal one from the Italians. We need to honor the indigenous people for all of the atrocities that were perpetrated upon them by the English, by all explorers, but it wasn't just those in this country. It happened all over the world."
Morinello says this is a product of cancel culture and will continue to fight for Columbus day if this bill ever reaches the floor, if it ever gets there, "I don't anticipate it ever even coming to the floor. It's an election year. Remember, we have less than a month [until] elections. Every one of those sponsors are trying to get reelected out of New York City. I don't see it coming to the floor. I do not see it coming out of committee. I see it as a poor attempt, a cheap shot at trying to get votes."