Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill Friday to abolish Columbus Day.
Maine will keep the day a state holiday but will now celebrate it as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
“Our history is by no means perfect. But, for too long, it has been written and presented in a way that fails to acknowledge our shortcomings,” Mills said in a statement.
“There is power in a name and in who we choose to honor. Today, we take another step in healing the divisions of the past,” Mills said.
Native groups have been critical of Christopher Columbus, viewing his discovery of America as an attack on American Indians.
In 2018, the city of Los Angeles tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus citing what they believed was exploitation of native peoples by the explorer.
Mills joined in the signing ceremony by multiple former and current American Indian chiefs.
At least five states and dozens of cities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Columbus Day still remains a federal holiday.
