The old saying is history is written by the victors. The Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) felt that on Monday more than ever. 

"Over time we've learned more and more," says Jack Manno, a NOON Committee Member. "It doesn't make sense to celebrate something so drastically wrong."

They called for Columbus Day to be changed to Indigenous People's Day, recognizing the people who lived here before Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

"We are here, we're not going anywhere and we have our rights," one speaker told the crowd.

On the other side of the holiday, Columbus is a major figure in Italian-American history. Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicorta is a supporter of Columbus Day. He says the explorer represents Syracuse's strong Italian community. 

"My grandparents were immigrants, they came over here and these were some of the people that helped them out when they got here — to get work, find housing and help them to become productive citizens in this country," Nicotra says. 

He did acknowledge the violence associated with Columbus. He says it's something that can't change, but shouldn't be forgotten. 

"People want to recreate history," Nicotra says. "We can't recreate history, history is what it is and we need to learn from it and move on, good bad or indifferent." 

Much of the tension in Syracuse centers around the statue in Columbus Circle. Monday morning Italian American's laid wreaths to celebrate their heritage. In the afternoon the Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation held the statue as a symbol of modern day oppression.

"It's Columbus standing on the head's of indigenous people," Monno said. "It's actually the wrong indigenous people because they're wearing headresses that would not have been the norm for here." 

One thing both sides can agree on is that no matter what you call the holiday, it's far more than a day off.