Cincinnati city leaders replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day

Leaders in Ohio City Replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day

After previous failed attempts, Cincinnati city leaders voted to recognize Indigenous People's Day as an alternative celebration to Columbus Day.

>> Read more trending news

The holiday, celebrated Monday, honors the civilizations that lived in this country before European exploration and colonization.

City leaders rejected a similar motion in 2016, WCPO reported. This time it passed by a 6-2 margin, with two council members abstaining from the vote, WCPO reported.

"I thought it was actually going to pass (in 2016), and when it didn't, it was heartbreaking," Guy Jones, a member of the Lakota tribe, told WCPO. "When it was announced that it passed, I was like, 'Finally. Finally.'"

Berkeley, California, was the first city to honor Indigenous People’s Day in 1992. The holiday is celebrated across the country, including in Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles.