A Los Angeles City Council committee held an exploratory hearing Tuesday on a controversial proposal to swap out Columbus Day for a new holiday known as Indigenous Peoples Day. The proposal has proven to be divisive, as many Italian Americans view Columbus Day as a celebration of their national heritage, while many Native Americans view the day as an offensive celebration of the genocide their ancestors suffered at the hands of Europeans after the Italian-born Columbus arrived.

While the committee made no decisions and plans to hold more public hearings on the issue in 2017, it did examine a report from the Human Relations Commission that recommends the swap and heard from members of the public on both sides of the issue. Chrissie Castro, vice chair of the Los Angeles City/County Indian Commission, told the Rules, Elections Intergovernmental Relations and Neighborhoods Committee that "replacing the day addresses a great wound that occurred in history. In order to heal from that wound, we as a country must recognize it, address it and seek to right the wrong."

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Source: http://patch.com/