The following five Michigan cities celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day:
- Ann Arbor
- Traverse City
- Alpena
- East Lansing
- Ypsilanti
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This holiday is meant to celebrate the Indigenous Peoples of North America in a counter-celebration of Columbus Day. Critics of Columbus Day have for years argued the day celebrates Christopher Columbus without recognizing injustices toward Indigenous People.
A discussion about replacing Columbus Day began back in the 1970s. Berkley, Calif. was the first United States city to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992. Since then four states -- Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and South Dakota -- and dozens of other cities and university campuses have officially replaced Columbus Day with alternative days of remembrance.
Meanwhile, Columbus Day has been observed by the United State federal government since 1937.
In Michigan, Traverse City and Alpena adopted Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2015 while Ann Arbor, East Lansing and Ypsilanti adopted it in 2016.