On Columbus Day, Native American students at Notre Dame organized a protest.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Native American students at Notre Dame organized a Columbus Day protest on campus.

Members from NASAND, or Native American Student Association of Notre Dame, say they disagree not only with the holiday, but with a series of Christopher Columbus murals painted on campus.

They argue the paintings aren't accurate depictions of Columbus's interaction with native tribes.

“He's kind of been elevated to this god-like status,” said Carrera Brown, the secretary of NASAND. “People tend to ignore the fact that he raped native women and contributed to the genocide of native populations.”

The students say they want the paintings either changed or removed.

They also argue Notre Dame doesn't have a Native American professor.

Indigenous Peoples Day? Italians say stick with Columbus

By DEEPTI HAJELA and DAKE KANG

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - A movement to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day is gaining momentum.

Los Angeles recently became the biggest city yet to stop honoring the Italian explorer. Austin, Texas, followed suit last week.

But the gesture to recognize victims of European colonialism has also outraged Italian-Americans.

They say eliminating their festival of ethnic pride is culturally insensitive.

The debate over Columbus' legacy is an old one, but it became emotionally charged after a similar debate in the South over monuments to Confederate generals flared into violence at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

One attempt to dump Columbus Day in Akron, Ohio, opened a racial rift on the city council.

In New York City, where 35,000 people will march in Monday's Columbus Day parade, vandals recently doused a Columbus statue in red paint.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)





In Michiana, at least two groups are protesting the celebration of Columbus Day.

"SURJ - South Bend" is hosting a protest Monday outside the federal courthouse in downtown South Bend. That's located at 204 S Main St.

The protest is scheduled from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

"We actively reject the celebration of Christopher Columbus and his legacy of domination, oppression, and colonialism. We also reject historical misconceptions regarding Columbus and his 'discovery' of the Americas,"

"By saying NO to Columbus and his day we are saying YES to a new future of mutual respect, collaboration, and equality."

The Native American Student Association of Notre Dame (NASAND) is holding an "educational demonstration" Monday from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the steps of the Main Building (Golden Dome).

That location was chosen because the building features controversial imagery of Native Americans in the context of Columbus's "discovery of the Americas."

NASAND is calling on the Notre Dame administration to declare the second Monday of October "Indigenous Peoples Day."