Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated with ceremonies, dances and speeches. The second Monday in October is often the day to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, the same day as Columbus Day, a federally recognized holiday established in response to discrimination against Italian-Americans to recognize Columbus' sighting of the American continent in 1492. In recent years, the date has been marked by protests against Columbus monuments, as well as for environmental justice, the return of Native lands, and to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women. Native American communities celebrate their history of resistance, which dates back centuries, with ceremonies, dances and speeches. The former US President Joe Biden officially commemorated the Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021. An ever-increasing number of states and cities have also recognized it, shifting from a day that was for a long time rooted in the celebration of explorer Christopher Columbus to one centered on people whose lives and culture were forever changed by colonialism. Following a look at why it's called Indigenous Peoples Day and how it's celebrated by people.