A Proclamation on Indigenous People’s Day was published by The White House in 2021, but only now have schools implemented this as a holiday. While the holiday is typically celebrated on the second Monday of October this year, on Friday, October 6th, La Jolla High School students had school off to celebrate a day–previously long rooted in the praise of Christopher Columbus–to reclaim the histories of indigenous peoples. 

While the holiday is undeniably important, La Jolla High seems to be one of the few schools that have celebrated this holiday, as other school districts in the county did not get the holiday to honor the Native American traditions and the treaty the U.S. government signed. Chloe Lin, a junior at Canyon Crest Academy, said, “I was surprised to learn LJHS had school off on Friday, as this holiday was never discussed at CCA. I wish we could have had the opportunity to honor the histories of indigenous peoples as well.” As stated by Joe Biden in his speech on the proclamation, “Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people.” He later mentioned that all people should be given time to celebrate national holidays.

Junior Tatianna Hedayati commented on the holiday saying, “I think it’s a really important holiday that I’m glad La Jolla High recognizes. Most importantly, renaming the holiday from Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day was a pivotal switch.” While it is undeniable that some progress still needs to be made across the nation to recognize this day, LJHS students are proud to be a part of a school environment that celebrates diversity and honors everyone’s histories and cultures.