As Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across Minnesota with parades, powwows, and feasts, it is worth revisiting the fact that a memorial to Christopher Columbus stands on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol enshrined by the power of the state. Some who know of the memorial, most prominently Native American activists and their allies, have called for its removal. This call has never gained enough steam to prompt such an action, but has been vital to shaping a dynamic dialogue about public memorials and inclusion.

The story of how this memorial to Columbus, a historical figure separated by time and geography from Minnesota, came to be located on the State Capitol Grounds adds an important dimension to this ongoing discussion. So how is it that there came to be a statue of Columbus erected by Italian American Minnesotans on the grounds of the Minnesota Capitol? And should the statue remain there today?