Nebraska Bill Would Swap Columbus Day For Standing Bear Day

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska would no longer recognize Columbus Day as an official state holiday but would instead honor the legacy of Native Americans if a new proposal becomes law.

The bill introduced Tuesday would create "Standing Bear and Indigenous Leaders' Day" in honor of the legendary Ponca Chief. The new state holiday would be recognized on the second Monday in October each year, on what is now Columbus Day.

Standing Bear, Chief of the Dakota Sioux, North American Plains Indians, c1885-c1890. Pictured wearing ceremonial robes and a full length head-dress of eagle feathers. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln says she introduced the bill because Columbus Day is a divisive holiday for many people, particularly Native Americans.

Standing Bear became the first Native American to be recognized as a person in a landmark 1879 court case.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.