Calendar Platforms Diverge on Columbus Day vs. Indigenous Peoples' Day

On the second Monday in October, Apple’s U.S. Calendar displays both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, while Google Calendar lists only Columbus Day. The discrepancy reflects each company’s approach to public-holiday data: Apple includes multiple observances, whereas Google, after a mid-2024 policy shift, now relies solely on the public-holiday feed from Timeanddate.com.

Newsweek

Columbus Day remains the federal holiday, commemorating Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, recognized in various forms across several states—including Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island—honors Native American history but lacks federal status. The split mirrors a broader cultural dispute over whether the October holiday should celebrate the explorer, acknowledge Italian-American heritage, or foreground Indigenous experiences.

Newsweek

Apple has not issued a detailed public rationale, but its calendar’s dual listing aligns with its recent shareholder vote to retain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. At the federal level, President Donald Trump issued a 2026 proclamation on October 7 designating October 12 as Columbus Day, reaffirming the administration’s support for the traditional observance.

Newsweek

HR consultant Bryan Driscoll argues that the debate has become a “political battleground” and that acknowledging Indigenous peoples is framed as an “attack on white identity.” Nichole Pitts, founder and CEO of Ethintegrity, contends that companies that exclude Indigenous recognition risk alienating employees and customers, especially when inclusion becomes “politically inconvenient.”

Newsweek

• “Apple's practice of recognizing both Columbus Day and Indigenous Day reflects its commitment to creating and sustaining a culture that centers dignity and respect,” — Kecia Thomas, an industrial organizational psychologist

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• “We got feedback that many other events and countries were missing, and it just wasn't feasible to put hundreds of moments in everyone's calendars,” — Politics Google

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• “Companies that truly live their values use them as a north star, especially under pressure, and hold themselves accountable,” — Nichole Pitts, the founder and CEO of Ethintegrity

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• “Trump and the broader anti-DEI movement have turned even this basic recognition into a loyalty test. Something as simple as acknowledging Indigenous peoples is treated as an attack on white identity,” — Bryan Driscoll, HR consultant

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