Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was bashed for his celebration of “Native American Day” rather than Columbus Day.

The decision of what to celebrate on the second Monday of October has been a culture war issue in the United States for decades, reflecting how people see the U.S. and its history. Republicans and conservatives tend to celebrate Columbus Day, viewing it as a traditional celebration of the man who set off the string of events leading to the U.S.’s founding. Democrats and liberals tend to celebrate Native American Day, or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day primarily of mourning for the defeat of North America’s first inhabitants.

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