Trading Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples' Day: For some, an overdue change
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
When Grand Forks, North Dakota, replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in July, Courtney Davis Souvannasacd brought her son, Benjamin, with her to the city council chambers to watch the vote.
“It’s not something you typically bring a 12 year-old kid to," Souvannasacd, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, told NBC News. “It’s kind of dry.”
The council voted in favor of the resolution unanimously, and the Grand Forks Herald said the switch happened “almost anticlimactically.” But for Souvannasacd, who was one of the many Native people in the city advocating for the change, it was an emotional day.
Benjamin had been born on Columbus Day 12 years earlier. Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, she said, felt like the start of a long overdue recognition of the indigenous people who lived in the U.S. for thousands of years before Europeans like Columbus sailed across the Atlantic.
“My son was so elated,” Souvannasacd said. “I will never forget the feeling.”
Around the country, cities and states have slowly been moving to declare the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, meant to honor the people indigenous to the land that is now North America. And advocates for Indigenous Peoples' Day want to make clear that Christopher Columbus wasn’t just an “explorer” — he was the beginning of an era of decimation.
“Celebrating Columbus Day continues a dangerous narrative that erases Native American voices and minimizes the federal government’s attempt at genocide and forced assimilation,” Congresswoman Deb Haaland, D-N.M., one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress last fall, said in a statement to NBC News.
Haaland’s home state of New Mexico will be celebrating its inaugural statewide Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, as will Vermont, Maine, Louisiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, but over 100 cities, towns and college campuses have made the switch.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Day is about acknowledging indigenous peoples’ complex history in this country and celebrating the culture, heritage, and strength of native communities everywhere,” Haaland said.
Rich Holschuh, one of many people in Vermont who fought to get the day formally recognized, agrees. For Holschuh, who is of mixed Native ancestry, and the other Vermont organizers, formally recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day is one of many ways to grapple with the country’s past and present treatment of Native people
“Civic holidays are occasions for a society to come together, to recognize and observe our common values,” Holschuh said. “Columbus is not to be celebrated.”
Vermont only recognized the Abenaki people as the primary indigenous group of the state about a decade ago, Holschuh said, adding, “The conventional narrative here is that there have been no indigenous people.” The day, then, works to fight back against that dominant narrative, educating the public and working to tell a more accurate history of the state.
But the fight to get Indigenous Peoples Day on the calendar has not come without resistance.
Chief among the opposition to the switch have been certain Italian-American groups. Although Columbus sailed for the Spanish, his Italian heritage is a point of pride for some, and advocates for Columbus Day think Indigenous Peoples’ Day takes away a day to celebrate Italian culture.
In Maine, Native activists who have long wanted to make the switch seized on the election of a democratic governor in 2018 to push Indigenous Peoples’ Day forward.
“It was a top down leadership issue,” Maulian Dana, the tribal ambassador of the Penobscot Nation, told NBC News. Maine’s former governor, Paul LePage, a Republican with a contentious relationship with the state’s indigenous people, was not going to change the calendar, Dana and others believed. “It was tried before and the bill didn’t make it through the committee.”
Under Governor Janet Mills, Dana and other Native activists were able to propel legislation to the Governor’s desk, who signed the bill in April.
But just last week, Mayor Nicholas Isgro of Waterville, Maine, said his town would be celebrating Columbus Day instead. On Monday, despite her packed schedule of celebrations, Dana will be headed to Waterville for a rally against the mayor’s proclamation.
Dana said she’s seen a good deal of “ugliness” in Maine and “resistance to change.”
“I’ve been called some horrible things and had some racist threats hurled — a lot of the things we face are the rippling effects of colonization,” she said.
For Dana, the Waterville mayor’s resistance shows why recognizing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day shouldn’t be thought of as a symbolic move.
“For tribal and indigenous people it’s harmful to have the state celebrating a day that celebrates our demise,” she said. “The bill sends a great message. Now it’s time to walk the walk and show indigenous people that we are all valued.”
“We are never asking for anything extra, just asserting our rights.”
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“Celebrating Columbus Day continues a dangerous narrative that erases Native American voices and minimizes the federal government’s attempt at genocide and forced assimilation,” Congresswoman Deb Haaland, D-N.M., one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress last fall, said in a statement to NBC News.
Haaland’s home state of New Mexico will be celebrating its inaugural statewide Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, as will Vermont, Maine, Louisiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, but over 100 cities, towns and college campuses have made the switch.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Day is about acknowledging indigenous peoples’ complex history in this country and celebrating the culture, heritage, and strength of native communities everywhere,” Haaland said.
I think the transformation is happening. I'm not sure that "Indigenous Peoples Day" is the right name. Although it is specific the name should be one that a ten year old could say.
I think it's perfect.
Considering the day Columbus arrived on these shores marked the beginning of an indigenous peoples genocide where millions would die over the next two hundred years of European invasion, perhaps we should call it "Remembering America's Holocaust" day.
You're right, but, man, that would roil some blood.
An excellent read is David Stannard book American Holocaust: Conquest of the New World.
I'm good with relegating Columbus to the trash heap of history and replacing it with NA Day.
Can I make another request...… Can veterans get "Veterans Day" off, or at least not make it a banking holiday? If veterans are working, so should the banksters…...
Yeah - and it sure messes with your budgeting by getting your "check" three days later with all these Monday holidays
.
Fly - I can understand why the Italians want to have Columbus listed as an accomplished Explorer - he was. But he was also the instigator of mass murders of over 3 Million Caribbean Indians during a 6 year rule as governor - Ariwak, Tiano, Carib, Sibona and others. That ain't something to celebrate.
Something tells me they got it, at least one for sure! The truth will set us all free.
We've talked about it before….. had the Tribes of the Americas known, they would have posted "No Vacancy" signs all over the Eastern shores and Caribbean Islands!
Many folks don't know it, but the Ais Indians in Florida did just that with Ponce de Leon - rode their boats out to the Spanish ships and attacked them. Ponce and his folks left.
I think what happened was inevitable. Anytime a group of people gain an advantage through technology they've used it to dominate other people. The Mongols did it, the Romans did it, as did many others and you can be sure that Native American tribes were doing it to each other too. If the Europeans hadn't come to America it would have eventually been the Japanese or Chinese and the rest of the story would have been pretty much the same. I have no doubt that if the Native Americans had been the ones with the advanced technology they would have invaded and colonized Europe and the rest of the world because that's human nature. There isn't a place or people on this earth that hasn't at one time been the victim of conquest and at another time been the conqueror.
Interesting thoughts....
Current archeological theory has many of the Mayan and Inca cities to have been far larger in population (millions in number) than the largest corresponding cities in Europe like Paris, or London at the same point in history.
Kavika and 1stWarrior turned me on a few years ago to the books 1491.. The Americas before Columbus, and 1493.. The Americas after Columbus. Both incredible historical reads, and worthy of being required reading in our schools. My opinion of course.
The City of Cahokia in modern-day Illinois was far larger and much more advanced than either Paris or London in the same time period. 1100 to the 1450s'...
A little foot note on that comment - the Aztec city of Mexico City had over 2 million residents as compared to London (12,000), Paris (9,000), Alexandria (8,000) and Moscow (6,000) in 1521. The population of the "America's" prior to the Euro invasion was "about" 180 million whereas the Euro population as "about" 12 million.
The European population in 1492 was about 60 million and the estimated population of the Americas was 40 -100 million at that time. It should also be remembered that Europe's population hadn't fully recovered from the Black Death in the mid 1300's which killed as much as 2/3rds of the people in many places and certainly the cities were the most effected. In the end the conquest of the Americas wasn't about numbers it was about a people with gun powder, horses, steel weapons, and highly advanced sailing ships meeting a people who were living a stone age existence even though some American natives had early copper age technology they didn't use it for tools or weapons they made art and religious items instead.
Jack Weatherford - Indian Givers
Jack Weatherford - Native Roots
Charles Mann - 1491
Charles Mann - 1493
Excellent sources from Anthropologists specializing in the Native Americans, ways of life, populations and cultures.
Each of those books also shows that we were not living a ''stone age'' existence.
JHC does it ever stop.
Not to mention - the European diseases killed off so many of the Native Americans, which is why the Europeans were able to conquer so ruthlessly.
Vic posted an article on this yesterday. I commented on it and now I can't find the article. It has disappeared.
I know - I couldn't find it either which is why I put this one out.
Although Columbus is certainly worthy of a positive place in history, I support the change to Indigenous People's Day 100%.
On a distantly-related note, mess with Talk Like a Pirate Day and heads will roll.
You Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr correct.
I support this change 100%. Good article 1st, thanks for this.
Native Americans were here first, their culture comes first. Sorry Italy.
America could make it up to them, and inaugurate a "Mafia Day".
Maybe that's unfair. Okay make it a "Da Vinci Day".
Given the mind set of Columbus era Europeans, which was to explore and exploit (and convert) distant lands, it is somewhat understandable that Columbus would be celebrated in his day, even be declared a hero.
But as the centuries have gone by and more is learned of the world in 1492 it has become increasingly difficult to see him in a positive light.
They should name Italian heritage day after the second most famous Italian in American history, whoever that was.
Oh wait a minute , Capone Day wont help.
How about a day named after the person in Italy who invented pizza?
When are you gonna send me a slice of that wonderful Chicago Pizza you've mentioned many times???????
Their pizza sucks. Been there done that.
Columbus was kinda a piece of shit when you learn a little bit about him. I am fine with this.
If the Italians are so supportive of keeping ''Columbus Day'' they would be best served to understand the ''Doctrine of Discovery'' which Columbus operated from.
In 1452 the first papal bull concerning the ''doctrine of discovery'' was penned. In 1493 Pope Alexander VI issued Papel bull ''Intera caetera '' which gave Spain (Columbus) the right to subjugate/enslave/kill all indigenous savages of the Americans.
The ''doctrine of discovery'' is embedded in US law. The Marshall Trilogies (SCOTUS) are the prime example of the doctrine used to enslave and subjugate the Native people of the Americans.
The Catholic Church has never rescinded it even after the repeated requests by its own members and the Native American community..
They would be best served to remember that this country was named after an Italian mapmaker. That should be consolation enough, though I don't think they need it - they are one group that has totally assimilated.
Big " Indigenous Peoples Day" Sale Weekend....
doesn't roll off the tongue so swell for those who view it as only a money making event, but, screw them.
Kids don't even seem to know or care much, it's just a day off.
Makes far more sense to me, than the Discoverer of Haiti
Creating an Indigenous People's Day as a trade for Columbus Day is a dumb idea. I'm all for an Indigenous People's Day, but do it an a way that focuses on positive aspects of indigenous people. Pick a date with some positive significance for native people.
Don't do it because Columbus makes you mad. Basing your holiday on anger - especially over something that happened 500 years ago - is a terrible idea.
American holidays should be about celebrating things like: the people who live/lived here and made the place better; people who achieved or sacrificed for the rest of us and deserve to be remembered; or the promise and/or success of our best ideas.
If you look at Columbus and you think we don't need a holiday for him, then let's get rid of it. I'm not married to it, frankly. I think you can't deny the historical significance of what he did, but I never thought it needed a holiday. Still, I'm not complaining about a free Monday off.
If you want to celebrate the European discoveries that led to the United States, I get that. Perhaps we should have a discovery holiday for someone who actually settled in what became the United States. Certainly plenty of people might be worth considering.
The current trend to make a direct replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day is not about honoring indigenous people. It's about virtue signaling. You looked into the past and found behavior you could criticize in someone who lived 500 years ago and you want to let everyone know how woke you are to the atrocities. Congratulations. You're very smart. Or, at least you think are for discovering brutality and unfairness in the past. But that's not what holidays are supposed to be for.
Well, then, watch the news in November of all the Native American Day celebrations and when the WH publishes its annual Native American Month and lists/could list one day as Native American Day.
Obviously, you didn't read what you wrote. 3rd paragraph - American holidays should be about celebrating things like: the people who live/lived here and made the place better; people who achieved or sacrificed for the rest of us and deserve to be remembered; or the promise and/or success of our best ideas,
and the 6th paragraph - You looked into the past and found behavior you could criticize in someone who lived 500 years ago and you want to let everyone know how woke you are to the atrocities. Congratulations. You're very smart. Or, at least you think are for discovering brutality and unfairness in the past.
Native Americans are not looking into the past. They are too busy trying to stop the continued abuse from the "Discovery" of Columbus - who, by the way, was never in the Continental U.S, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. The policies of the monarchies in Europe and other countries were/are simply take what you want. If they don't give it to you - kill them.
Dominant Society's Congress has written and passed 273 laws that apply to Native Americans and Native Americans ONLY. There is no other minority in the U.S. that has ANY laws written specifically for them. We can't write a Will to give property, etc., to our relatives/heirs without APPROVAL OF THE BIA - we can't sell/trade any of our property in our patch-work reservation WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE BIA - we have over 300 treaties between the U.S. and our people that state the Feds will do certain things IF WE GIVE THEM ALL OUR LANDS. Needless to say, Dominant Society has broken and violated each and every one of those treaties - you know, Treaties, the SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.
Our people's population went from over 80 million in 1492 to just a tad over 550,000 in 1952 thanks to Dominant Society and their policies. Since 1952, our population has risen to just a tad over 10 million people. Our religions were totally shut down, especially after 1890, the Ghost Dance Massacre on the Pine Ridge Reservation, where 372 old men, women and children were massacred. But, since then, our religious activities have grown back and become a very major portion of our cultures. Many laws have been written and passed to "protect" the poor Indian from the previous abuses we were exposed to - so -
YES, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY BABY AND WE'RE GONNA DAMN WELL CELEBRATE - and in passing for some, we'll ask you to share our coming out of the tunnels Dominant Society has tried to keep us in.
Go Deb - Go Tom - Go Markwayne and Go Sharice. Let's get more in there.
They are looking into the past if the only reason they even thought to have an Indigenous People Day was that thinking about Columbus Day made them mad. They are looking into the past if the only condition they will accept for an Indigenous People holiday is that it replaces Columbus Day. For may people those things are true.
I have had the privilege of knowing and being friends with an exceptionally talented and accomplished "Renaissance" Abenaki woman, Alanis Obomsawin, about whom I wrote and posted an article.
"Trading Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples' Day: For some, an overdue change"
How 'bouts doing both. After all….folks are looking for more vacation time anyway !