New Mexico has become the fifth state in the United States to replace Christopher Columbus day, celebrated the second Monday of October, with a holiday celebrating American Indigenous groups. At the beginning of April, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill officially replacing the holiday. The second Monday of October will still be a legal holiday within the state, however, the holiday will officially commemorate members of the Indigenous communities, instead of the Italian explorer, who sailed through the West Indies in the 1400s. Other states that have passed similar legislation are Minnesota, Vermont, Alaska and Oregon.

While New Mexico as a state passed legislation this year, the state capital of Santa Fe has been celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day since 2016. According to a statement on the city website, Santa Fe “is deeply proud to embrace its rich cultural diversity and the prolific and profound contributions that its first peoples brought and continue to bring to the city.”

Changing the October holiday of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day has been met with positive responses from many Native American tribes and associations throughout the country. Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation, released a statement following the passing of New Mexico’s bill, saying that “observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day allows citizens to recognize our rich heritage and represents a step toward healing and growth.”