America is a country rich in culture and different ethnic groups and this must be respected by everyone. For many decades the country has been celebrated for its high levels of equality and democracy, although it took much struggle for the country to achieve its elite position as a superpower and as a modern democracy. Being a modern democracy and a superpower is not the most American thing about America, but rather Native Americans are what makes America. It is important that Native people are celebrated just like other Americans, so a Native American Day is imperative. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Native American Day is a day when Native Americans are celebrated, and this day honors their history, present, and future. This day is to recognize the contributions, impact and resilience of Native people. This holiday is celebrated on the second Monday of October, which was originally Columbus Day. Most states in the country have decided to eliminate Columbus Day and replace it with Natives Day. This essay tries to discuss why it is important to celebrate the holiday of the natives. Columbus Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1792 in New York City. This holiday originates from an annual celebration of Italian-American heritage in California. President Franklin Roosevelt, at the request of Italians in New York and the Knights of Columbus, declared the first national observance of Columbus Day (Kehoe, 2017). Three years later the congress made October 12 a national holiday. Later, in 1972, the official date of the holiday was set as the second Monday in October. However, Columbus Day has been protested by generations of Native people throughout the Western Hemisphere. Protesters often cite how colonists conquered America, from Columbus to the country's independence, when millions of natives lost their lives and the survivors were forcibly assimilated. In 1977, at the United Nations international conference on discrimination against indigenous peoples in the Americas, it was proposed to replace Columbus Day with Native Day. This would be a day to recognize that natives were the first inhabitants of the Americas, including the parts that became the United States of America. This has led many states in the country to reconsider history. Most states have since replaced Columbus Day with Natives Day. This movement gained popularity and spread to cities and towns across the United States. South Dakota was the first state to rename Columbus Day in 1990. Hawaii also changed its name to Discover's Day to honor the Polynesian navigators who settled the island. As the years pass, more and more states join the movement to replace the day meant to honor Columbus' voyage. Initiating Native Day celebrations as a counter-celebration only demonstrates the lack of importance that people in power have placed on this harsh historical injustice. Several states, including Los Angeles County in California, commemorate Indigenous Day as opposed to Columbus Day. Celebrating the Native holiday fundamentally involves appreciating the culture and contributions of the American Indians. The American Indian way of life has immensely influenced different cultures around the world. Until recently, there was little to no recognition and appreciation of the contributions of native peoples, despite them providing insights to immigrants on various disciplines such as science, mathematics, agricultural processing techniques and technologies, clothing materials and styles, art, and architecture , politics and social ideology, transportation technology,medicine, sports and games and even medicine. The few centuries that followed (after initial contact in the early 14th century), had an important role to play in denying and downplaying these vast contributions to society. This is despite such ideas becoming part of the fabric of American life. To appreciate the value of Native Day, we must understand the value of the role American Indians played in shaping European culture. Why is Native Day important? because we can honor and celebrate the resilience of American Indians. Some notable contributions are explained as follows. In Politics and Governance, Native American perceptions of government and other social institutions have been widely adopted by the U.S. government and American society at large. The foundations of democracy have their roots in Native American decision-making (Kurien, 2016). Which argued that a governing authority should serve all people equally. During the founding times of the United States, the Iroquois Confederacy of New York State included representation from six tribes. Benjamin Franklin, along with other Founding Fathers, took notes from the "Iroquois" system of government when planning the Union that later became the United States of America. Ideas of Indian-American identity are also present in the United States Constitution. Such ideas include; Freedom being a natural right, government should function according to a system of checks and balances, where everything is taken into account, and leaders are at the service of the people and could be eliminated through an impeachment process, and military and civil powers are better divided. A large number of Indian-American languages ​​have contributed significantly to modern English and other international languages. English words like coon, moose, and moccasin are traditionally Native American words. Cities like Illinois, Arkansas, Minnesota, lakes like Minnetonka, rivers like the Mississippi reveal the meaning of the American Indian language. Indian Sign Language has become the international sign language for deaf people. The Indian language played a huge role during World War II as the enemies of the allies never decoded their messages. In medicine, over 200 species of medicinal plants listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia were discovered before Colombia. Just to name a few products, they include novocaine, aspirin, quinine and astringents. In the field of nursing, holistic care has been adopted by the Indian society for the effective treatment of patients. This approach emphasizes the patient's emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. Native American ideas appear to permeate general science as well. Indian belief systems along with ecological science teach that life is interdependent and interrelated. This phenomenon is expressed through the oral traditions and conservation practices of Indian communities. They also contributed to the creation of highly accurate mathematical calendars. The introduction of the zero concept in mathematics is also attributed to the natives. Indian-American foods play a vital role in securing the world's supply. Early native farmers laid the foundation for growing several types of corn, species of beans, hundreds of varieties of potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, and peppers (Bigelow, 2016). These foods have created a culinary revolution around the world. Popular snacks developed by Native Americans include tomatoes used in Italian pizza, lasagna, and spaghetti. By the time of European contact, most research on wild plants had been conducted, and domesticated plants were useful. The field , 3 (2), 273-295.