On Saturday, October 7, indigenous rights advocates rallied in the Boston Common to push for the renaming of Columbus Day, a holiday activists say misrepresents Cristopher Columbus’s colonial legacy and honors the genocide of indigenous peoples. 

Over 25 cities and towns in Massachusetts have already shifted towards celebrating Indigenous People’s Day instead of or alongside Columbus Day, including the city of Boston. The future of the name change could rest with legislators on Beacon Hill, where on October 3rd, the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight reviewed a bill that would establish the holiday statewide. 

The bill has been presented to the State Administration before — this is the third session where lawmakers have reviewed it — but its sponsor, State Sen. Jo Comerford, is optimistic that there’s a viable path forward for the initiative. 

The petition currently has 20 more co-sponsors than it did last session. Despite receiving a favorable response in the State House, the bill did not move forward. Comerford said the younger generation’s dedication to this cause encourages her to keep pushing for the bill’s approval.

“The support of young people is so overwhelming,” said Comerford. “It’s a no-brainer.”

The Scope’s Rebeca Pereira documents this weekend’s rally and the effort to recognize a statewide Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the video below.