<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) received critical comments on Monday regarding a social media post honoring "Native Americans' Day" in South Dakota. The state was the first to replace Columbus Day with a holiday celebrating indigenous peoples in 1990.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">"Today is Native Americans' Day in South Dakota, an opportunity to celebrate the heritage and contributions of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people," Thune posted on X.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today is Native Americans’ Day in South Dakota, an opportunity to celebrate the heritage and contributions of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people. <a href="https://t.co/x7WoZ6yO8P" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/x7WoZ6yO8P</a></p>— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/2109649279396860112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">October 12, 2026</a></blockquote> </div></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to the 2020 Census, South Dakota has one of the highest percentages of Native Americans in the country, with over 11% identifying as such.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Thune has made similar posts in previous years to mark the holiday. However, this year's post received thousands of comments, including praise for Columbus Day, reflecting ongoing tensions within the Republican party's online base.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The holiday, observed on the second Monday of October, is often at the center of cultural debates. Columbus Day is celebrated by some Republicans to honor Christopher Columbus's exploration of the Americas, while Democrats often recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor the original inhabitants of North America.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Italian American Civil Rights League criticized Thune's similar post last year, calling it "racist, insensitive and frankly Anti-Trump," and accused him of attempting to erase the contributions of Italian Americans.</p>