Indigenous People’s Day
(This post was very difficult for me to write. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about this day and how difficult it would be to write true but unflattering information. This article hit me right in the privilege and whitewashing of history. )
Columbus Day is October 12. This day is celebrated by many countries as the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. Although not all countries call it Columbus Day, in many Latin American countries it is called Día de la Raza, or the Day of the Race. It appears that the celebration of Columbus Day wasn’t really in place until the late 1800’s or early 1900’s depending on your country. In 1892, there was a “one-time” national celebration of Columbus Day. It was used as a tool to placate Italian American’s after the lynching of 11 Italians and to ease tensions with Italy. Many Italians celebrated it as a heritage day. Starting in 1934 it was yearly designated as a holiday until 1968 when it finally became a federal holiday. The celebration of Columbus Day first started to decline in 1992. There were many reasons for this but the most popular and long lasting reason is celebrating the people who already lived in the Americas when Columbus Arrived. In 1917, 1921, 1922 and 1928, respectively, Argentina, Venezuela and Columbia, Chile and Mexico changed the name of the day to Día de la Hispanidad. Finally in 2002 Venezuela changed it to Día de la Resistencia Indígena or Day of Indigenous Resistance. The first Indigenous People’s Day was celebrated in 1989 in South Dakota. Berkley, CA followed suit in 1992 during the 500 year anniversary of Columbus’s arrival.
Indigenous People’s Day is a day to celebrate the history and culture on Native Americans. Various cities and states celebrate this day as part of a counter-celebration of Columbus Day. It is not in addition to. In 1992 the US Congress decided to hold a “Quincentennial Jubilee” in San Francisco Bay Area and reenact the arrival of Columbus to the Americas. In response the Bay Area Indian Alliance was formed. They in turn created the Resistance 500 task force. They believed that the Jubilee promoted support of Columbus’ arrival at inhabited lands and the European colonization that followed thereafter and the resulting genocide. This group convinced City Council of Berkley, CA to declare the day Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People. The education that followed with the decree was highlighting that the arrival of Europeans led to diseases, warfare, massacres and forced assimilation of Native Americans. To date at least 13 states no longer celebrate Columbus Day. In 2019 Washington, D.C. voted to temporarily replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.
As a child I don’t really remember celebrating Columbus Day or really learning about the history of celebrating Columbus Day. Arguably it’s possible that this is because when I was finally old enough to remember they had started the process of highlighting the injustice that was brought to the Americas with the arrival of Columbus. I remember being taught that Christopher Columbus “discovered” America but we also learned that Native Americans were already here. We learned vague contradictions about Pocahontas, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day. Now having children of my own, it’s a confusing place to be when your child wants to know more about the history of the holiday. Their grandparents tell the tale they were told as children of Christopher Columbus discovering America. They are often very proud of this story and its history. Certainly without Columbus discovering the new world, the foundation of the Americas would definitely be different. Columbus was certainly the catalyst for many new things being introduced to the continent. Columbus is known as introducing things such as plants, animals, cultures, and technology. We also know that his arrival introduced disease and slaughter of many. Admittedly I need to learn how to tell my children the truth even though I want to protect them from the ugliness of the world. I also need to learn how to explain to my children why people learn and understand things differently. However, that is my own personal problem. So how does all of this apply to you and to the subject of positive change? Clearly there is a large group of people who have been historically and maybe not so historically abused, murdered, denied basic human rights. How can we support them moving forward? I believe there are 4 main things that we have to focus on.
The first thing that we should do is learn their history. In life we often want people to do the work for us; in this case it is our responsibility to research history and their stories. Indigenous people have enough to worry about; it is definitely not their job to educate us as well. If we want to be a positive element in their story we have to place the burden on ourselves and not with them. Also, keep in mind their positives; their stories are not all about destruction. They have many uplifting and inspiring stories as well.
Along the same lines, second, we must make sure that we are being self-aware. Are we trying to make a positive impact for them or to make ourselves feel good? It is important that we give them the power in the situation. Ask if and how we can be of assistance? Do they need physical support, emotional support, or financial support? To the best of our ability, we should provide the support that is asked for. We must ask permission and ask often and then wait to receive it. For example if there is an event that we are interested in and want to participate in, first we must make sure that we are welcome. Often times the announcement will say something like, all allies welcome. Consent works in all sorts of situations and is ongoing.
The third thing we can focus on may be one of the most important things we can do. We must protect their land and allow them to have control over it. One of the main reasons land is taken away from indigenous people is with the excuse of conservation. In reality this seems quite contradictory. Native Americans have held respect for and preserved the land for longer than most have even known about conservation and preserevation. The general culture of Native Americans is respect for the land. Their traditions are passed from generation to generation teaching the most effective way to use the land without overworking the land. Their livelihoods, food, shelter, culture were and are almost exclusively dependent on the success and stability of the land. Why would they not have the best interests of conservation in mind? Instead let us make them a powerful ally to the cause.
Last and most certainly not least, possibly, the most important thing that we can do is let them speak; to lift up their voices, and make sure the conversation includes them. We have to make sure that we are not speaking for them. Having written that I’m not sure that I have succeeded, it feels an awful lot like I am speaking for them. Hopefully by bringing more light to the subject I have helped in a small way.
Remember, be positive and share positivity. Much love
Extra Reading:
-Columbus Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day
-Indigenous People’s Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Peoples%27_Day
-Native American Heritage Association https://www.naha-inc.org/about/
https://www.amnesty.org.au/10-ways-to-be-an-ally-to-indigenous-communities/