A Historic Milestone: SCU Honors Indigenous Peoples Day as an Official Campus Holiday

Photo Credit: Adam Hays @adamhaysphotography

Photo of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe on their Trail of Truth during the Summer.

For the first time, Santa Clara University has officially recognized Indigenous Peoples Day as both an academic and administrative holiday. The University’s decision follows the University’s previous decision to officially replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day after years of advocacy.

In 2022, the Associated Student Government passed a resolution for the University to adopt the holiday. Ray Plaza, director of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, noted that logistical challenges delayed the University’s official recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day as a day off. “I had looked at how other Jesuit schools were managing the holiday. We had to jump through all these hoops, because it dealt with the academic calendar and the number of days we could have off,” Plaza said “It took a while, but we got here.” Indigenous Peoples Day is the only fall holiday outside of Thanksgiving break, which made its integration into the academic calendar a complex process. However, Plaza stressed that the recognition is part of the University's broader journey toward recognizing its colonial past and fostering inclusion. 

Indigenous Peoples Day, traditionally observed on the second Monday of October, honors Indigenous communities, their history and current culture. For the University, the recognition is especially significant given its location on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone people. Professor of Anthropology Lee Panich, who has worked extensively with the Muwekma Ohlone community, emphasized the importance of recognizing not only the hardships that Indigenous people endured but also their resilience and ongoing presence. In an email to The Santa Clara, Panich wrote, “It’s critical to recognize not just the hardships Native people faced but also their deep roots and continuing presence today.”

The holiday has become a focal point for universities, cities, and states that have chosen to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. Many see it as an opportunity to address historical narratives and honor the land’s original inhabitants. At the University, this recognition marks a turning point for both faculty and students who have worked to increase visibility for Native and Indigenous voices on campus.

The University’s relationship with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe stretches back centuries due to the Mission's complex history. However, in recent years, this relationship has grown considerably more collaborative.

Photo Credit: Dylan Ryu

Claire Alford and Evan Fine tabling for the Native American Coalition for Change’s Hygiene Drive on Indigenous Peoples Day.

Claire Alford '25, president of the Native American Coalition for Change, sees the University’s actions towards recognition as encouraging. “Just in my years, we’ve seen so much change,” Alford explained. “We’re having more native representation, bringing in new perspectives.” Events like the annual spring PowWow, a gathering of tribes from across the United States, the permanent “California Stories from Thámien to Santa Clara” exhibit in the de Saisset museum, and the Thamién Ohlone Augmented Reality Tour are ways the University has worked to uplift Indigenous voices. These projects, Panich explained, are essential in allowing Indigenous communities to tell their own stories. “In all of this work, a crucial component is for Ohlone people to guide the projects and tell their own stories in their own words.”

The University has also established an Ohlone and Muwekma Scholarship Fund to support students who trace their ancestry through the Missions Dolores, Santa Clara, and San Jose. Isabella Gomez '27, the first Muwekma Ohlone student to attend Santa Clara University, emphasized the importance of this scholarship and the broader recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day. “I want more of our tribal members to be able to be educated and to attend this university,” Gomez said. “It’s really a blessing that I’m able to attend, but that’s something that shouldn’t end with me.”

For many at the University, the recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day is only the beginning. Both faculty and students stress the need for continuous engagement with Indigenous communities. Amy Lueck, professor of English and organizer of the University’s Ohlone Camp last summer, believes the holiday is part of a larger commitment to education and inclusivity. “SCU should really be a leader, given our location on a Franciscan mission and as a Jesuit mission,” Lueck said. “There are no shortages of resources to learn about the Ohlone people on whose homelands we are on.” 

Gomez echoed this sentiment, explaining that many students still lack a deep understanding of the University’s history as a mission site and its impact on Native communities. “Each step we take on campus is on land where Native people endured hardships,” she said. “It’s important that the University talks about that.”

As the University continues its journey of reconciliation and engagement with Indigenous communities, Indigenous Peoples Day stands as a key milestone in the university’s efforts. Plaza emphasized that while the holiday is an important first step, the University’s work is far from over. “In 2026, the mission church will celebrate its 250th anniversary, and we can’t acknowledge those anniversaries without thinking about our relationships with indigenous communities,” he said. “There was a time where the University was shying away from these conversations, but you know, we can’t hide from the fact that we were a mission campus.” 

For students like Alford and Gomez, the hope is that the University’s recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day will lead to more sustained efforts to integrate Indigenous perspectives into the University’s fabric. “I’m extremely grateful to be the first Ohlone student here,” Gomez said, “but I don’t want to be the last.”