Stop celebrating Columbus Day!
Email the Author | Del.icio.us | Digg | Facebook
Columbus Day is just 1 week away. On this day responsible citizens take a much needed break from work or school, applaud the parades that march down city streets, and shop "Columbus Day" sales.
Very few get that Columbus day is an outdated holiday that celebrates genocide and slavery. Our country does not celebrate the internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War with 50% off sales. School children do not get a day off to commemorate global warming. We certainly don't parade around our streets to celebrate the US history of slavery. So why do we honor a man who once wrote in his journal that the indigenous peoples he first set eyes on would make great slaves????
To this day, public school children are taught about Native American culture and history from the point of view of Euro-American colonialists. Unfortunately this kind of education is extremely biased and untrue. Many of us continue to be bereft of knowledge regarding true Native American history as well as the current lopsided relationship between the US government and Indian Country. This kind of ignorance will be played out in full revelry next week.
I just recently found out that South Dakota is the first and only state to abolish the holiday and instate a Native American day instead. A glimmer of hope!
On October 13th, do what South Dakota does. Deem October 13th a day of remembrance for the Native Americans who have lost their lives and celebrate the strong Native culture that persists today. It would also be a good day to write letters to your representatives and ask them to abolish this foolish holiday. Then write letters to the editor of your newspaper and plea that your community start looking at ways to spend the 3rd Monday of October in more reverent ways (e.g. educate people and urge leaders to respect the sovereignty and rights of Native Americans)
And happy Native American Day.
Labels: Native Americans
posted by Karyn at
10:44 AM
9 Comments:
Thanks for speaking out. I was one of the 88 arrested last year in the Denver columbus day protest. It is high time that the truth came to light. It is of my opinion that it is the same ignorance and attitudes that celebrate this day are the very cause us to get stuck in situations as we now are in Iraq. Might seem like a leap to some, but think about it a bit! I encourage all to protest this "holiday" in what ever means possible, or write a letter to the paper of their choice!
Karyn -- Great idea about writing a letter to the editor about Columbus Day -- maybe we should use your blog post here as the kernel of a letter to editors for that day.
We should talk :)
Let's go one step further even! Let's all urge our representatives and the presidential candidates to convert Columbus Day to Native American Day! We also need to insist our representatives and the candidates fix the Indian health care system. Go to http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/ to learn more and to sign the petition. How many of you know that the U.S. Constitution is modeled after the constitution of the Iroquois League of Nations, as well as modeling our three branches of government on the Iroquois. For more info check http://tuscaroras.com/pages/history/about_iroquois_constitution.html. This is only one thing that we owe a debt of gratitude and our thanks to our Indian compatriots.
It's called imperialism. Then and now. Anyone interested in reading real history that describes the despicable behavior of Columbus and his men, should read Howard Zinnn's The Peoples History of the United States.
That's exactly what I did! I e-mailed my congresswoman and two senators the op-ed.
However, we really need to think out what this land is called by all of the indigenous people here.
If we are to really change "Columbus Day" into a holiday honoring indigenous people, then we need to correctly identify what this land is really called.
According to our elders, this land we are on is called Turtle Island. There is a story that goes with that but I cannot tell the story here. Maybe in a future post, when the snow is on the ground; then I may tell the story.
To appropriately honor all of the Turtle Island Nation Elders, Men, Women and Children who died in the past, we must correctly identify this land as Turtle Island.
If you ask any Native elders and they are accurately aware of their true heritage, these elders will also say this land is known as Turtle Island.
Since we are taught to listen to what our elders teach and have taught us, then by all rights, "Columbus Day" should be renamed "Turtle Island Day." This is the right thing to do.
Also, I'm going to post my comments to my legislators. It just feels like the right thing to do. So, here is the post:
"Dear Legislators:
I'm sending this op-ed link on Columbus Day. Here it is.
http://www.fcnl.org/intern_blog/2008/10/stop-celebrating-columbus-day.html
Please click on the link and read it. My hope is that we can change Columbus Day into Turtle Island Day. That's the right thing to do. Pidamiya! Mii-gwetch! Thank you."
ellay1987
Thank you Karyn, this is very informative. I will try to link to my blog about Bridger SD
Karyn, I put this on a link to my blog about Native American Rights, hope that is ok. Thanks. Shaun
Karyn, thanks for this. So glad you are in DC doing such good work.
We'll be back at it here in Denver this weekend. I'm speaking at the rally on the capitol steps, holy cow!
Love you and miss you (follow the link to my blog...you'll figure out who this is...).
I totally agree that most Americans are clueless about Columbus and the atrocities that he and his lost party inflicted upon the indigenous peoples of the southern Atlantic islands. Not only must individuals continue to lobby their congressional reps, we need to insist that our national Native organizations take a stand and demand that the name of this holiday be changed. Let's unite and make this happen in our lifetime!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home