Happy Columbus Day. The day America was discovered by the high and mighty white man. The day our freedom from British rule became almost possible. It set so many things in motion for us. And what have we learned from him? Well, everything apparently.
I’m not even 1/8 Native American, but since my family history can be traced back to a Native Chief, I care. Since I’m a woman, I care. Since I’m a person with morality and as an advocate for equal rights, I care. And apparently so does Denver. With about 48 tribes surrounding the area, it makes sense that Columbus Day is now celebrated as Indigenous People’s Day (http://time.com/4071362/indigenous-peoples-day-denver/).
Not only does it make sense for myself and the population in Denver and other few cities who have switched the cause for celebration, but it should make sense to everyone. Personally, I love corn and animals and rich historical-rooted culture and religion, and we seemed to have gotten a lot of our ethics from this Native culture. In one of my First Nation Studies semester classes, I learned more about Indigenous culture than I have in my whole life. Nature is to be respected. Women and children are to be respected. You are to help one another in the community in order to be a part of it. But these things aren’t cherished in American society today. We pollute the oceans. We abuse our loved ones in an absurd number of ways. We discriminate other genders, religions, races, sexualities, economic statuses, and other qualities making up another person’s individuality. Maybe, just maybe, if Columbus didn’t discover America through his violence and persecution we could have learned more from the Natives and would have a more supportive country.
Columbus started it, but we haven’t stopped. He raped Native women, he enslaved others, he attempted to shove Christianity onto those of other religions, and he persecuted innocent people all in the name of greed. Columbus wanted gold, silver, and other valuable goods to use for trade (http://www.understandingprejudice.org/nativeiq/columbus.htm). Sounds kind of rude, doesn’t it? Well look at today: one in four women are raped in their lives, more occurring in college than anywhere else, we’re still prejudice against race in multiple forms, racial profiling being the most common, religion plays a huge part in politics, though our government denies it, and can affect every part of modern day lives. We cheat, we steal, we lie, and we hurt others all for profit of our own.
I haven’t celebrated Columbus Day since 5th grade, when I discovered the truth behind Columbus’s journey, and I hope that someday more cities will follow in the footsteps that cities such as Denver have set in place. If you really want to celebrate Columbus Day, go for it I guess, but maybe you should look into his actions before thanking him for his “discovery.” Meanwhile, I plan on celebrating by thanking my professor from that First Nation Studies course, as well as other Indigenous persons who have helped me understand their culture and make a large impact on my life.
