Democrat Ameya Pawar says that if elected Illinois governor, he would work to have Illinois rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day. While the idea may sound somewhat new, the concept of Indigenous Peoples Day has been around for a while. Vermont already has replaced the October federal holiday named for Christopher Columbus with Indigenous Peoples Day, as have the cities of Denver and Phoenix. Locally, Evanston recognized Indigenous Peoples Day last year. 

“This is about acknowledging the contributions indigenous people have made to our country and celebrating the cultural history of Native Americans living in Illinois,” Pawar, Chicago's 47th Ward alderman, said in a statement.