On behalf of the Beatitudes Campus Diversity and Inclusion Action council, we would like to wish everyone “HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY!!!”
On Monday, more states, cities, and communities than ever will observe Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of, or in addition to Columbus Day. This leads me to ask this question.
Do we really want to have a national holiday named after a person who created so much harm to a significant portion of our citizens?
For Native Americans, Columbus Day has long been hurtful. Indigenous children have been forced to learn & celebrate the person who set in motion the genocide of their people in American schools which is incredibly painful for them.
Several places across the United States have made the switch in a growing movement to end the celebration of the Italian explorer in favor of honoring Indigenous communities and their resiliency in the face of violence by European explorers 500 years ago.
Many people (myself included) believe that its about celebrating people instead of thinking about somebody who tried to cause the genocide of an entire population.
For many Italian Americans, Columbus Day is their day to celebrate Italian heritage and the contributions of Italian Americans to the United States. It was adopted at a time when Italians were vilified and faced religious and ethnic discrimination.
There is a significant number of Italian Americans that believe that Columbus Day isn't just about the man but about what the day represents: a people searching for safety and acceptance in their new home.
There are also Italian Americans who very much support the shift to Indigenous Peoples' Day because they don't want to feel themselves associated with a man who is known to have committed terrible crimes against humanity.
They were greatly discriminated against in this country, and it's incredibly important to have a day to celebrate their heritage. It just shouldn't be around the figure of Columbus.
Christopher Columbus statues along with many other famous historical figures have been vandalized in this country during protests after the George Floyd murder on Memorial Day in 2020.
Many of the protestors are asking if we as a country could find better ways to utilize our history to eradicate racism instead of celebrating controversial figures which encourage it. “Can't the monuments & holidays born of our past be reimagined to represent new values for our future?”
Many Native Americans and their supporters like myself recognize the importance of celebrating the history and contributions of ALL AMERICANS, but there has to be a better way to honor Italian Americans, without associating them with Christopher Columbus.
I hope that we could find a reasonable compromise to satisfy all parties involved moving forward.
Get involved!
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