SANBORN, N.Y. (WIVB) — Columbus Day has officially been renamed to Indigenous Peoples Day in the Niagara-Wheatfield Central School district.

The Board of Education approved the request after a power point presentation by the Native American Club and the Niagara Wheatfield Student Council.

Students from both clubs have been working on the effort for the past year. In the presentation, students portrayed the killings, slavery, and kidnappings that resulted under Christopher Columbus.Students also said Columbus shouldn’t get credit for discovering North America because millions of people already lived there.

As of today the signs out front of both the Niagara Wheatfield High School and the Edward Town Middle School both say there will be no school on Indigenous Peoples Day.

“We didn’t understand why we should we be celebrating a man that stands for a symbol of genocide in native communities, especially going to a school that has such a large native population,” said Quinna Hamby, Native American Club Vice

“Student Council had a unanimous vote to support Native American Club and then we all went and approached our School Board and they voted on the spot to change the name in our school,” said Jamie Hagerty, Student Council President.

The village of Akron, town of Newstead and the Akron Central School District have also named the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day. They will be holding a celebration at Russell Park in Akron on October 10th from 10 am to 2 pm.