Supporters of changing Columbus Day to an October holiday honoring the contributions of indigenous people held signs, beat drums and dominated the discussion Monday night before the Spokane City Council approved the concept.

“In order to heal, we have to accept what the past was for what it was,” Council President Ben Stuckart said, before backing the creation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Spokane in a 6-1 vote.

Members of the Spokane, Colville, Nez Perce and other tribes said continuing to celebrate the legacy of Columbus, an Italian explorer whose veneration has been questioned because of his involvement in the slave trade and spreading disease, denied the historical significance of their people to the region.

Scyla Dowd, a 13-year-old member of the Inupiat tribe born in Spokane, told the City Council that changing the name of the holiday would be a first step toward affirming her identity, which she said is lost in classrooms teaching about Columbus’ discoveries.

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