Above: Totem pole at Saxman Village Totem Park in Ketchikan. Photo by Gary Bembridge
Alaska is one of only a handful of states that celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day on the federal Columbus Day holiday. The state holiday was first created by annual proclamations in 2015 and 2016 by then Governor Bill Walker. In 2017, the Alaska legislature made the holiday permanent, and Walker signed the law while attending Utqiaġvik’s annual Nalukataq whaling festival.
“Alaska is built upon the homelands and communities of the Indigenous Peoples of this region, without whom the building of the state would not be possible,” Walker said while signing the bill.
Alaska was only the second state after South Dakota to celebrate an Indigenous holiday on Columbus Day, but Maine, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and several others have since followed. According to Pew research, many states also now recognize both holidays—with only 16 states exclusively celebrating Columbus Day. Over 100 U.S. cities, including Anchorage, have also proclaimed an Indigenous Peoples Day on Columbus Day.
Alaska’s designation is ceremonial, and state workers do not get the day off, although state workers do get a holiday for Alaska Day in mid-October. Every year, communities around Alaska hold Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations.
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