Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas was no discovery at all. (Photo: Victoria Pickering/flickr/cc)
It's Past Time to Abolish Columbus Day and Establish Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States
The holiday is a monument to white supremacy, and it’s time we abolished it.
"In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." The rhyme tells a story that is seeped into the consciousness of every American from a young age. The famed Columbus set sail across the Atlantic, discovered a "new world," and set forth a new era of wealth and prosperity - a feat so momentous that the U.S. has made the second Monday of every October a holiday in his honor.
If only that were the true story.
Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas was no discovery at all. He was not the first person to step foot on this soil, nor was he even the first European. Rather, he was a man who sailed and stumbled upon an island that had been inhabited by millions of Indigenous peoples for centuries. His true legacy is not one of discovery, but rather one of conquest, exploitation and genocide.
For centuries, the Euro-centric gatekeepers of history have erased our story and our humanity from textbooks and classrooms.
To celebrate Columbus Day is to celebrate America's violent, centuries-long history of colonialism and racism. It's to celebrate a man who enslaved and slaughtered millions of Indigenous people and stole our land. The holiday is a monument to white supremacy, and it's time we abolished it.
This past year, we've witnessed an awakening across the United States to this country's dark, racist history. Calls for justice and reparations are growing louder and louder, but when it comes to reconciling the American myth with Indigenous truth, the U.S. still has a long way to go.
For centuries, the Euro-centric gatekeepers of history have erased our story and our humanity from textbooks and classrooms. Imagery in Hollywood films presenting Indigenous people as "savages," and racist mascots in professional sports have normalized the mocking of our culture and sacred customs. Our communities face continued systemic racism - from disproportionate access to healthcare and quality education, to discrimination in jobs and wages, to violence by the police, and more. We continue to fight every day for our autonomy and for our right to the land that was stolen from us.
On this second Monday of October 2020, we can take an important step toward healing by abolishing Columbus Day, and instead, establishing a nationwide Indigenous Peoples' Day.
While many counties, towns, cities, school districts, and other localities have made the switch, only 6 states have officially and permanently replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' or Native American Day. Hawaii recognizes today as "Discoverer's Day." Likewise, there is a growing movement across the country to remove and replace statues of Columbus, and other monuments to our racist and colonialist history.
It's beyond time for the United States to reckon with the truth of what really happened when colonizers landed here in the 1400s, and for Indigenous children to be provided the culturally competent, inclusive education they've deserved all along.
We need organizers, elected officials and policymakers, and people everywhere to include Indigenous priorities in all policy proposals and solutions. Our voices have been erased for too long -- but by centering our values of fairness, justice and inclusion, we can begin to heal. We can build the collective, nurturing world we all deserve.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
"In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." The rhyme tells a story that is seeped into the consciousness of every American from a young age. The famed Columbus set sail across the Atlantic, discovered a "new world," and set forth a new era of wealth and prosperity - a feat so momentous that the U.S. has made the second Monday of every October a holiday in his honor.
If only that were the true story.
Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas was no discovery at all. He was not the first person to step foot on this soil, nor was he even the first European. Rather, he was a man who sailed and stumbled upon an island that had been inhabited by millions of Indigenous peoples for centuries. His true legacy is not one of discovery, but rather one of conquest, exploitation and genocide.
For centuries, the Euro-centric gatekeepers of history have erased our story and our humanity from textbooks and classrooms.
To celebrate Columbus Day is to celebrate America's violent, centuries-long history of colonialism and racism. It's to celebrate a man who enslaved and slaughtered millions of Indigenous people and stole our land. The holiday is a monument to white supremacy, and it's time we abolished it.
This past year, we've witnessed an awakening across the United States to this country's dark, racist history. Calls for justice and reparations are growing louder and louder, but when it comes to reconciling the American myth with Indigenous truth, the U.S. still has a long way to go.
For centuries, the Euro-centric gatekeepers of history have erased our story and our humanity from textbooks and classrooms. Imagery in Hollywood films presenting Indigenous people as "savages," and racist mascots in professional sports have normalized the mocking of our culture and sacred customs. Our communities face continued systemic racism - from disproportionate access to healthcare and quality education, to discrimination in jobs and wages, to violence by the police, and more. We continue to fight every day for our autonomy and for our right to the land that was stolen from us.
On this second Monday of October 2020, we can take an important step toward healing by abolishing Columbus Day, and instead, establishing a nationwide Indigenous Peoples' Day.
While many counties, towns, cities, school districts, and other localities have made the switch, only 6 states have officially and permanently replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' or Native American Day. Hawaii recognizes today as "Discoverer's Day." Likewise, there is a growing movement across the country to remove and replace statues of Columbus, and other monuments to our racist and colonialist history.
It's beyond time for the United States to reckon with the truth of what really happened when colonizers landed here in the 1400s, and for Indigenous children to be provided the culturally competent, inclusive education they've deserved all along.
We need organizers, elected officials and policymakers, and people everywhere to include Indigenous priorities in all policy proposals and solutions. Our voices have been erased for too long -- but by centering our values of fairness, justice and inclusion, we can begin to heal. We can build the collective, nurturing world we all deserve.
"In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." The rhyme tells a story that is seeped into the consciousness of every American from a young age. The famed Columbus set sail across the Atlantic, discovered a "new world," and set forth a new era of wealth and prosperity - a feat so momentous that the U.S. has made the second Monday of every October a holiday in his honor.
If only that were the true story.
Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas was no discovery at all. He was not the first person to step foot on this soil, nor was he even the first European. Rather, he was a man who sailed and stumbled upon an island that had been inhabited by millions of Indigenous peoples for centuries. His true legacy is not one of discovery, but rather one of conquest, exploitation and genocide.
For centuries, the Euro-centric gatekeepers of history have erased our story and our humanity from textbooks and classrooms.
To celebrate Columbus Day is to celebrate America's violent, centuries-long history of colonialism and racism. It's to celebrate a man who enslaved and slaughtered millions of Indigenous people and stole our land. The holiday is a monument to white supremacy, and it's time we abolished it.
This past year, we've witnessed an awakening across the United States to this country's dark, racist history. Calls for justice and reparations are growing louder and louder, but when it comes to reconciling the American myth with Indigenous truth, the U.S. still has a long way to go.
For centuries, the Euro-centric gatekeepers of history have erased our story and our humanity from textbooks and classrooms. Imagery in Hollywood films presenting Indigenous people as "savages," and racist mascots in professional sports have normalized the mocking of our culture and sacred customs. Our communities face continued systemic racism - from disproportionate access to healthcare and quality education, to discrimination in jobs and wages, to violence by the police, and more. We continue to fight every day for our autonomy and for our right to the land that was stolen from us.
On this second Monday of October 2020, we can take an important step toward healing by abolishing Columbus Day, and instead, establishing a nationwide Indigenous Peoples' Day.
While many counties, towns, cities, school districts, and other localities have made the switch, only 6 states have officially and permanently replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' or Native American Day. Hawaii recognizes today as "Discoverer's Day." Likewise, there is a growing movement across the country to remove and replace statues of Columbus, and other monuments to our racist and colonialist history.
It's beyond time for the United States to reckon with the truth of what really happened when colonizers landed here in the 1400s, and for Indigenous children to be provided the culturally competent, inclusive education they've deserved all along.
We need organizers, elected officials and policymakers, and people everywhere to include Indigenous priorities in all policy proposals and solutions. Our voices have been erased for too long -- but by centering our values of fairness, justice and inclusion, we can begin to heal. We can build the collective, nurturing world we all deserve.