Indigenous People's Day

[bibiche]

Does your city and/or local university (or universities) now refer to Columbus Day as Indigenous People's Day? Do you?

[Guest]

No on the city. Not sure on the universities. This is a new one on me. 

[TravelingChris]

No.  I would support another day in the year for Indigenous people day.  Is there a Native American month like Black History month, Hispanic American month, etc.?

 

Edited October 8, 2016 by transientChris

[Anne]

I read that my state is now referring to it this way, but all of the signs I've seen on the post offices and banks still refer to it as Columbus Day.

 

Anne

[EKS]

Our city does.  

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I read that my state is now referring to it this way, but all of the signs I've seen on the post offices and banks still refer to it as Columbus Day.

 

Anne

 

Banks and post offices use Columbus Day as that is the officially recognized federal holiday.

[marbel]

Philadelphia has a Columbus Day parade.  I've heard of Indigenous People's Day, but never locally.  

[bibiche]

No. I would support another day in the year for Indigenous people day. Is there a Native American month like Black History month, Hispanic American month, etc.?

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1994) is August 9th. But I don't think many people know about or celebrate it.

[poppy]

We use Columbus Day and I was shocked that my son (in public 1st grade) came home with stories about what a hero Columbus was.

 

Do people not know he is a slaver? Not in a 'it was a different era' sense --- unusually merciless and brutal.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bibiche]

We use Columbus Day and I was shocked that my son (in public 1st grade) came home with stories about what a hero Columbus was.

 

That is pretty shocking. I didn't know people still thought that, much less taught it. Is his teacher 100 years old or something?

[Butter]

Our mayor made it both last year.

[Rachel]

No. South Dakota has called it Native American Day for a couple decades.

 

My current state still calls it Columbus Day but it isn't a day off school or work.

Edited October 8, 2016 by Rach

[Cinder]

I grew up in Hawaii where we didn't have Columbus Day; we had Discoverers' Day. I hadn't even heard of Columbus Day until I went to college.

 

 

[poppy]

That is pretty shocking. I didn't know people still thought that, much less taught it. Is his teacher 100 years old or something?

No. she is young. But it is an Italian neighborhood .

[MercyA]

Alas, most people in my area have probably never heard of such a thing.  I like this:

 

 

And this: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/columbus_day

[Guest]

No name change here I don't think.

 

We are studying Columbus in depth and really enjoying the unit. It's been good to see how he represented himself in his letters, his personal history and goals, Spain's context and aims at the time, and the fallout positively and negatively. The kids and I have had good discussions and comparing him to some other explorers has been valuable too.

 

We admire things about him and we criticize some of the fallout. Looking at both perspectives is one of those things I cherish about home education, because I think it brings much needed balance to our perspectives.

 

But no, I don't think my state has changed the title or refuses to celebrate the day. We don't personally care one way or another, but we are also white and weren't settled here in American until the 20th century, so our personal histories as a family have shaped that quite a bit.

[mom2scouts]

No, it's still called Columbus Day in my area. The heavily Italian areas have parades and celebrate it. I would prefer to celebrate something like Explorer's Day.

[Ravin]

My state still has Columbus Day. It's the only Federal holiday I don't get off work (I work for a native Nation).

[poppy]

No name change here I don't think.

 

We are studying Columbus in depth and really enjoying the unit. It's been good to see how he represented himself in his letters, his personal history and goals, Spain's context and aims at the time, and the fallout positively and negatively. The kids and I have had good discussions and comparing him to some other explorers has been valuable too.

 

We admire things about him and we criticize some of the fallout. Looking at both perspectives is one of those things I cherish about home education, because I think it brings much needed balance to our perspectives.

 

But no, I don't think my state has changed the title or refuses to celebrate the day. We don't personally care one way or another, but we are also white and weren't settled here in American until the 20th century, so our personal histories as a family have shaped that quite a bit.

How does being white makes a difference in whether or not you think he is worthy of celebrating ? Do you think only descendants of the people he and his men enslaved, killed, tortured, mutilated, raped, used as dog food might object ?Unfortunately if I remember right---- and it has been a long time since I read up on this --- the population of went from hundreds of thousands to a couple hundred people within a few decades, so the # of descendants in the US can't be that high. But a whole lot of people are --- if not fully embracing the Indigenous People thing --- at least thinking this is a pretty awkward holiday, Unless you mean it impacts you less because he brought slavery to the new world and only descendants of slaves would be passionate on this topic ? I'm guessing that's not what you meant.

 

For me the balanced way to study this would be to give the two sides of the encounter equal weight , but that's sadly not possible. The Taino didn't write letters , and of course disease is merciless. It is a really hard subject to approach, honestly.

[Guest]

We found a balance we are happy with.

 

Somewhat coincidentally, I was talking with my hair dresser, who happens to be native, about this thread and she has some interesting things to say that aren't half as vehement as what I was expecting (I thought she might be really passionate on a change in the holiday or have a stronger opinion about Columbus, himself). I appreciated that she could be circumspect and frank about it, given her personal heritage and identity. It was an interesting talk.

Edited October 9, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[poppy]

Is there a whole lot of heritage in common between the Taino people of Hispaniola and your "happened to be native" hairdresser?  I never would approach it that way anyway - morality doesn't change based on the race of the person talking. About that, and about Columbus, I'm comfortable saying we can agree to disagree.  I do wish the public schools did a better job.  My kid actually came home with stars in his eyes about Columbus, as though he'd invented celestial navigation and had a huge accomplishment "discovering" America. Zero mention of what he did once he was hit land, which is what's really most relevant in the development of the New World. Just lousy history.  I hope they will do a better job with Thanksgiving. We live a stone's throw from Plymouth.

Edited October 9, 2016 by poppy

[Amy in NH]

Vermont (a stone's throw from here) just changed the name of the holiday last week. I'd be quite happy for NH to do the same.

[TravelingChris]

I thought ours was just Columbus Day but as of 1975, it is Columbus Day/Fraternal Day/ American Indian Heritage Day.

 

I also didn't know that the third Monday in January is Birthdays of Robert E. Lee/Martin Luther King Jr. I have always heard of it as MLKjr. day here.  We have two other state holidays that I guess our county doesn't honor- Confederate Memorial Day in April and Jefferson Davis Birthday in June plus Mardi Gras but only in the two counties by the coast.  At least I never had heard of the libraries or other county offices closed for those days.  But I know that some other states or districts have their own special holidays including D.C. which has some holiday in mid April that made our Federal tax returns be due later.

[Mergath]

My town doesn't, but our family celebrates Indigenous People's Day. Knowing what we do now, I find it horrifying that people still view Columbus as a person worthy of respect. As soon as I learned the facts (which, sadly, wasn't until college) I was like, oh hell no.

[happi duck]

Lots of Italian-Americans here so CD is a big deal.

*glares*

 

Today is Leif Ericson Day! It's nice that LED usually lands before CD!!

 

(See what I did there?!? ;) )

[MercyA]

No name change here I don't think.

 

We are studying Columbus in depth and really enjoying the unit. It's been good to see how he represented himself in his letters, his personal history and goals, Spain's context and aims at the time, and the fallout positively and negatively. The kids and I have had good discussions and comparing him to some other explorers has been valuable too.

 

We admire things about him and we criticize some of the fallout. Looking at both perspectives is one of those things I cherish about home education, because I think it brings much needed balance to our perspectives.

 

But no, I don't think my state has changed the title or refuses to celebrate the day. We don't personally care one way or another, but we are also white and weren't settled here in American until the 20th century, so our personal histories as a family have shaped that quite a bit.

 

Columbus committed genocide. I don't think he deserves balanced treatment. 

 

We were talking about this with my daughter today. We conceded that although Columbus did terrible, evil things, he was a brave explorer and that's what some people choose to focus on. My daughter said, "Even if you're brave, you still have to do the right thing. The bravest people do the right thing." 

Edited October 9, 2016 by MercyA

[poppy]

Columbus committed genocide. I don't think he deserves balanced treatment. 

 

We were talking about this with my daughter today. We conceded although Columbus did terrible, evil things, he was a brave explorer and that's what some people choose to focus on. My daughter said, "Even if you're brave, you still have to do the right thing. The bravest people do the right thing." 

 

The great danger of teaching that the winning of a battle = progress, and progress = good, is that anything is justified if it gets you to where you are today. Anything. 

[bibiche]

But no, I don't think my state has changed the title or refuses to celebrate the day.

Alaska never officially recognized Columbus Day (pretty sure there are a few states that don't), but has named the second Monday of October Indigenous People's Day.

 

http://www.adn.com/afn-coverage/article/berkowitz-renames-columbus-day-anchorage/2015/10/12/

[ChocolateReignRemix]

We found a balance we are happy with.

 

Somewhat coincidentally, I was talking with my hair dresser, who happens to be native, about this thread and she has some interesting things to say that aren't half as vehement as what I was expecting (I thought she might be really passionate on a change in the holiday or have a stronger opinion about Columbus, himself). I appreciated that she could be circumspect and frank about it, given her personal heritage and identity. It was an interesting talk.

 

I am curious as to what you consider balance.  Looking at it critically, his accomplishments overall seem rather minor and not that different than many other explorers.  His negatives seem much, much worse than most others.

[Guest]

Alaska never officially recognized Columbus Day (pretty sure there are a few states that don't), but has named the second Monday of October Indigenous People's Day.

 

http://www.adn.com/afn-coverage/article/berkowitz-renames-columbus-day-anchorage/2015/10/12/

Well that explains why I didn't know.

[FaithManor]

Columbus committed genocide. I don't think he deserves balanced treatment. 

 

We were talking about this with my daughter today. We conceded that although Columbus did terrible, evil things, he was a brave explorer and that's what some people choose to focus on. My daughter said, "Even if you're brave, you still have to do the right thing. The bravest people do the right thing." 

"From the mouths of babes!"

 

If only everyone saw it that way.

[Laura in CA]

We live near Berkeley, where Indigenous Peoples' Day started, but far enough away (in the boondocks) that no one calls it that – although schools and the public library are open today, while banks are closed and of course no mail will be delivered. (Ah, I just realized that last Friday was a "teacher work day" and kids didn't go to school ... perhaps a nod to the fact that there used to be a holiday in early to mid-October.) 

 

San Francisco has (or had) a large Italian population, so there is still a big Columbus Day Parade. It is still held, but was recently re-named the Italian Heritage Parade. Note that the website is still "sfcolumbusday <dot> org" :)

ETA: Apparently the parade started in 1868 (!). The name was changed in 1994, soon after Berkeley named Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992.

 

 

ETA: I misspelled peoples' – although I now see it spelled variously People's, Peoples, and Peoples'  :)

and of course the word people looks super-funny the longer I look at it, no matter how it is punctuated ...

Edited October 10, 2016 by Laura in CA

[FaithManor]

Okay, maybe this tells you a lot about where I live. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but the schools don't change anything they are teaching because of it or take time off. The banks and county/state offices are closed. School goes on, and Columbus isn't presented in a positive light IF it comes up in conjunction which it doesn't all that much because they follow the curriculum and don't meander much off the point.

 

BUT, if the first day of hunting season - deer firearm - is a weekday, the schools shut down for that, and a ton of employers do as well. Not kidding. The schools gave up because they needed so many substitute teachers that they could hardly stay open, and half or more the high school boys skipped school. 

[Laura in CA]

 

BUT, if the first day of hunting season - deer firearm - is a weekday, the schools shut down for that, and a ton of employers do as well. Not kidding. The schools gave up because they needed so many substitute teachers that they could hardly stay open, and half or more the high school boys skipped school. 

 

 

This is the same where my son lives (Rocky Mountain state)! We used to go hiking that day, but it is too nerve-racking! and yes, all schools, from elementary to university, have a holiday that (week)day.

[Xahm]

I'd like to see us celebrate Exploration Day instead. (There should also be an indigenous people's day) When kids study "Columbus" they aren't really learning about the historical figure, they are celebrating the idea of "the great explorer," which is a thing worth celebrating. Let's stop pretending Columbus is the embodiment of that spirit and just celebrate Exploration, from ancient people's launching canoes and crossing mountains to rocket ships and submarines. Instead of coloring three ships, have a treasure or scavenger hunt.

[SKL]

Never heard of it in the USA, but I will say they don't make a fuss about Columbus Day here.

 

My mom called to wish my kid happy birthday.  She was surprised they didn't have Columbus Day off.  I didn't even know it was Columbus day.  (Is that why I haven't gotten any client emails today?  [my clients are mostly banks and nonprofits]  Yay!)