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Indigenous Peoples Day has been recognized for decades. The idea of celebrating of an Indigenous Peoples Day came in 1977 at an international conference on discrimination sponsored by the United Nations. South Dakota was the first state to recognize the day in 1989, followed by several cities in the United States. Several states have moved away from Columbus Day. For example, California and Delaware moved away from celebrating Columbus Day entirely in 2009, and Maine, New Mexico, Vermont, and D.C. renamed the day Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2019. President Biden issued the proclamation for Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021 to "honor the sovereignty, resilience and immense contributions that Native Americans have made to the world".

"It is a day of reflection of our history in the United States, the role Native people have played in it, the impacts that history has had on native people and communities, and also a day to gain some understanding of the diversity of Indigenous People" - Van Heuvelen (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe from South Dakota)