Words and Deeds:

As Inez talked about in her earlier blog post, Columbus Day is certainly one of the stranger 'celebrations' here in the United States. Here we are, a nation that claims such high (& real) accomplishments in a relatively short amount of time (when compared to other nations around the world) and yet we still celebrate someone who set off one of the largest genocides the world and certainly the North and South American continents have ever known.

It is interesting however, as Inez mentioned, that there has been a recent recurrence of the senate's attempt to pass a bill officially apologizing to Native Americans. And it is completely understandable why many Native Americans refuse to accept such an apology until the government works to change some of the results of those past wrongs.

Other nations have dealt with similar issues in recent years, and whether one way is right and the other wrong is difficult to tell, and certainly not the 'job' of (in this case) non-Native Americans. But this issue certainly begs consideration for what needs to happen in the United States for our nation to begin to move beyond the wounds of the past and into a future where all of citizens are treated as equals.

Perhaps a good start would be replacing Columbus Day with a holiday celebrating some of the native cultures and peoples of America which so many Americans know so little about? For more on this idea, read a blog from a past Program Assistant for the Native American Program who writes about South Dakota's celebration of Native American Day on October 13th - mark your calendars and find out something new about native cultures and peoples!


Some other things to consider:

November 2008: The National Park Service promoted National American Indian Heritage Month

October 12, 2009: The National Park Service also participates in the Columbus Day Celebration (claiming that Columbus Day is also Native American Day -- What???)
Oh & this happens right here in Washington, DC at the Christopher Columbus Statue in Columbus Circle outside Union Station (just a few blocks from FCNL's office). I would say that sends a bit of a confusing message…

February 2008: Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an official apology to the Aboriginal peoples of Australia

Kevin Rudd's national apology to Stolen Generations

June 2008: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially apologized for government sponsored Indian residential school programs that resulted in the loss of native cultures in Canada.

It's all certainly worth considering on this Columbus Day 'holiday.'

In peace,
~Rachael

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