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Cincinnati city leaders replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day

People watch a local Tongva tribal elder speak on Hollywood Boulevard during an event celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on October 8, 2017 in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

CINCINNATI — After previous failed attempts, Cincinnati city leaders voted to recognize Indigenous People’s Day as an alternative celebration to Columbus Day.

The holiday, celebrated Monday, honors the civilizations that lived in this country before European exploration and colonization.

City leaders rejected a similar motion in 2016, WCPO reported. This time it passed by a 6-2 margin, with two council members abstaining from the vote, WCPO reported.

"I thought it was actually going to pass (in 2016), and when it didn't, it was heartbreaking," Guy Jones, a member of the Lakota tribe, told WCPO. "When it was announced that it passed, I was like, 'Finally. Finally.'"

Berkeley, California, was the first city to honor Indigenous People’s Day in 1992. The holiday is celebrated across the country, including in Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles.

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