Read an NPR investigation of what Columbus Day means for Native Americans.

Oct. 9 each year also honors Nordic explorer Leif Erickson, since a 2005 proclamation by President Bush.

Read an Oct. 5, 2012 Wired article about the movement to rename Columbus Day as “Exploration Day,” to preserve the history of America and its discovery while keeping the story true to its essence in regards to the violence towards the Native Americans.

Read a poll about whether or not Columbus Day should continue to be celebrated as a national holiday. This poll provides reasoning behind both sides of the debate.

Read an Oct. 8, 2012 ABC News article about the history of Christopher Columbus finding the Americas, and how that story might change depending on the point of view.

Barbara J. Dilly is associate professor of anthropology at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Her research interests include the rural church and American agriculture.

Bruce Coriell is the chaplain at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He has taught theory and method, multi-disciplinary approaches to the study of religion and religious communities. His focus is on the intersection between religion and the natural world, as well as the field of indigenous religious traditions.  

Read a Dec. 5, 2011 Patheos column in which the author writes about her fascination with Mary.

Richard B. Wilke is a retired United Methodist Bishop and the author of Christmas: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (August 2010), an Advent study focusing on Herod, the shepherds and others from the Christmas story.