Indigenous Peoples’ Day - Paying Respect to those Brutalized by Columbus
https://www.denverpost.com/2016/01/20/legislation-would-replace-columbus-day-state-holiday-in-colorado/
Growing up, many of us were taught that Christopher Columbus was the valiant explorer who discovered America and befriended the Indigenous Peoples of the land. We were taught to praise him for his supposed heroism while coloring in a 5th grade stencil of him holding hands with Native American tribes - smiles on all of their faces. It is becoming more prevalent, however, that this is proven to be a terribly false narrative.
Whether you idolize Columbus or not, it is impossible to ignore the uprising resistance against Columbus Day. From social media posts to protests to cities such as Los Angeles “re-imagining” the infamous holiday, the push back is significant, and understandably so. For Native Americans, this is a day of mourning. Columbus can very well be the physical representation of colonization to some. Especially to those whose ancestors were directly affected by European colonization, disease, and slave-trade.
“This historically problematic holiday has made an increasing number of people wince, given the enslavement and genocide of Native American people that followed in the wake of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria,” Yvonne Zipp writes.
There are people, though, who claim to have important reason to celebrate Columbus Day - Italian-Americans. The Italian explorer, in their eyes, paved the way for immigration and the search for the “American Dream.” But there still is an enormous problem with this argument - it is tone deaf. Was the genocide and extinction of tribes across stolen land worth the “American Dream”? A dream that in and of itself is as false a narrative as the concept of Columbus being best friends with Indigenous Peoples?
Understandably, everyone wants to celebrate their background and heritage, it is important to know where your family has come from. So, perhaps, Italian-Americans should consider focusing their celebration on themselves, on their ancestors. Sure, Columbus may have been part of the reason as to why Italians were able to immigrate, but why not just instead focus on those who made the plight? Don’t let a colonizing murderer represent your culture, your ancestors are the brave ones that deserve the praise. Councilman Mike Bonin, at the Los Angeles City Council’s public hearing, perfectly sums this up:
“I’ve thought about my ancestors and their history. And to me, celebrating Columbus Day does not honor their story and their struggle and their history; it insults it, and it besmirches it. They came here to build something, not to destroy something. They came here to earn something and not to steal something. They came here to make life better for their children, and not to take away something for someone else’s children.”