What is Indigenous Peoples' Day? Does it replace Columbus - USA TODAY But, again, no mainland United States. Columbus Day: Should it be considered a federal holiday? I gave them many beautiful and pleasing things, which I had brought with me, for no return whatever, in order to win their affection, and that they might become Christians and inclined to love our King and Queen and Princes and all the people of Spain., Columbus usually treated the Native Americans kindly and brought them gifts in order to win their favor. But Columbus couldnt deliver on the gold claim. We think of Columbus Day as a heroic and triumphant day ever since 1970, when the holiday was legally made a national holiday. Chris went to Spain and Bart to France. Market data provided by Factset. A genocide happened in "the Americas," and it began with Columbus. Legal Statement. It neednt be a battleground, but a chance to celebrate the best within us. Until his dying day Columbus maintained that the land he had discovered was Asia and not a new continent. Many believe that they sailed even further south, maybe as far as New Brunswick. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. October 11, 2021 5:00 am. An angry mob decided to drag them. Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, is a nationally recognized holiday. In an era where we are fighting for racial equality celebrating false heroes is detrimental to progress. Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October. The reason Columbus set sail on his epic journey in the first place was because he raped the 13-year-old daughter of a Spanish Duchess. The statue of Christopher Columbus remains encased in a wooden box on Marconi Plaza Aug. 12, 2020, as the sun sets on the day the Philadelphia Art Commission voted to remove it and store it while the city deliberates on a new permanent home for the controversial monument. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend Part I, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort. Columbus Day is one of America s oldest holidays. By REAGAN ESCUD SCOTT / Monday, October 10, 2022. If it wasn't for Columbus, the motivation for exploration and expansion wouldn't have become a priority because nobody knew about the Americas. Why Columbus Day isn't really a national holiday He initiated a turning point in our history. SHOULD CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS BE CELEBRATED? Nevertheless, the same could be said of Julius Caesar, but I dont know of many European countries who celebrate Julius Caesar Day. In another case, some people think Columbus was a hero because he represents a leader who went far and beyond to find America. He was turned down from the Portuguese crown, Genoa crown, Venice crown, and English crown. To begin, some people think Columbus is a hero because he found America, which is not true. 5 Reasons Not to Celebrate Columbus Day | by Dave | An Injustice! - Medium Its 2020 people. For if we celebrate Columbus, we are celebrating a racist genocide, massive land robbery, barbaric slavery, serial rape and systemic torture. This new day was first adopted in Berkeley, California in 1992. I think there is a ton of potential in celebrating an Indigenous Peoples' Day, but what that is, what it looks like we need to start with asking indigenous folks to define it. Cal Poly State University - San Luis Obispo, California State University - Los Angeles, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, California State University, Channel Islands, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Federal University Of Agriculture Abeokuta, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico San German campus, Keiser University - Latin American Campus, London School of Economics and Political Science, California State University of Sacramento, Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of North Carolina - Wilmington, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, William Paterson University of New Jersey. Congress also believed the holiday would mark the contribution of immigrants to the United States. After Columbus established the first Spanish colony at La Isabela, on the north coast of Hispaniola (modern-day Dominican Republic), relations between the Spanish and the indigenous population quickly deteriorated. Cambridge, MA 02138, Challenges? Why does learning about what Columbus did to Native Americans still matter today? Ahh, well, brothers will be brothers. Teach Kids About Columbus Day vs Indigenous Peoples Day However, because Columbus brought disasters to the Native Americans, many people opposed the Columbus celebrations. The City Council recently voted to get rid of Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating indigenous, aboriginal and native people.. And Washington, D.C., this week renamed the holiday, pending congressional approval. Yet, what is rarely discussed is the barbaric genocide perpetrated by Native American tribes from Mexico to Peru against other Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. . A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, native peoples lived in these places all along. He first went to sea when he was only 14 years old. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.. This is where many of the peaceful natives were met with brutal deaths onboard, whether it be from disease or mistreatment from the handlers. His first impression of the Arawaks, one of the first peoples he encountered, was . And maybe only one reason to celebrate. Columbuss men used native girls as young as nine or ten as their sex slaves. Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day - Her Campus Columbus day is a controversial holiday, but one that should be celebrated. I'm Amy, Columbus was from a middle class family. Berkeley originally replaced Columbus Day with show more content. Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. There were already people living wherever he landed. Here are three reasons we shouldn't celebrate Columbus Day, as a country. So, there you have it; five reasons not to celebrate Columbus Day this year (or any other year). The war against the Western heritage. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Three other states New Mexico, Maine, Vermont followed suit this year. Why Do We (Still) Celebrate Columbus Day? - Learning for Justice When he was only 23. he had the idea of going to India, China and Japan. ), Christopher Columbus initiated the trans-Atlantic slave trade. I think there is a ton of potential in celebrating an Indigenous Peoples' Day, but what that is, what it looks like we need to start with asking indigenous folks to define it. 1. If we blame Columbus and the Spanish kings, we should also blame every other invader and conqueror in History. This kept them from planting crops, leading to widespread starvation. Its just that Columbus was the brave one to stake his claim to a land that did not belong to him. Read More I think history teachers have a responsibility to prepare students to comment critically and participate critically in the discourse about who we are honoring, who we are celebrating, and how we are doing it. Every Columbus Day I am forcibly reminded of my hatred for Christopher Columbus. Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. From early colonial exploration, to our push westward with manifest destiny, to our more modern quest to outer space and landing on the moon, Americans seem to have an innate desire to push the boundaries and discover new places. It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that designated the second Monday of October (Columbus Day) as a national holiday in 1971. Since then, its spread across the nation with increasing speed, as more than 60 cities from Maine to Washington have supported the idea. In 1927, Chicago's outer drive, connecting the city's North and South Sides, was renamed for Leif. Or Napoleon Bonaparte Day, for that matter. Why Do We Celebrate Columbus Day? Some Opt for National Indigenous Columbus couldn't be killed without angering the Italian court, so Queen Isabella sent him on a mission, hoping he wouldn't return. Or maybe even plan to discover your own new-to-you islands! Should the United States continue to celebrate Columbus Day? Fine, fine But he did discover America right? There were terrible diseases that got communicated to the natives, but he cant be blamed for that., 5. And hes credited for marking the establishment of institutionalized slavery in the West Indies. Christopher Columbus is just one of those English adaptations someone felt was preferable to pronouncing a foreign sounding name. The attack on Columbus Day is a major facet of the cultural . Why NOT to celebrate Columbus Day | Ancient Origins Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. But as I grew older, it became clear that history is murky. (He had plenty of different ships on subsequent voyages.). Now that the truth is becoming more widely known, people are pressuring their communities to stop celebrating Columbus Day. For all the reasons listed above, and for how he acted during his stay in the Americas, Christopher Columbus should not be remembered as a voyaging adventurer who discovered America. But our work was to exasperate, ravage, kill, mangle and destroy; small wonder," -Bartolome Las Casas, 1527. The Lefts hatred of Columbus is predicated on the idea that he represents the tyrannical, western force that colonized the Americas at the expense of those already living here. Well, the tough thing about labeling someone as good or bad is the definitions change with the times. And yes, I know Columbus was at least in part a product of his brutish times and any nation who landed on Hispaniola in 1492 might have done similar things. If instead of Columbus, a Chinese marine had arrived first and "colonized" America, would be blaming the Chinese for the destruction of American civilizations? In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Over a dozen states and more than 130 local governments have chosen to not celebrate Columbus Day altogether or replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasnt even there. Examine Columbuss "discovery" of America. But its not recognized in Los Angeles, where I live. This is the Monster Celebrated on Columbus Day, The American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World, Multicultural View of Christopher Columbus Story, The Rise of Sexual Assault in the Military. Yet, many continue to believe that America owes its discovery to Christopher Columbus. Turning points are powerful lenses through which students need to view our past. . On October 11th, 2021 its 529 years since Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, or Cristoforo Colombo as he was probably known in his native Genoa, landed on the island San Salvador. 1. He decimated the native population. 5 Reasons Why It's Still OK To Celebrate Columbus Day - The Hayride Had he have given up, the world would be drastically different today. Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Why are we celebrating him? Very much like the lyrics of the famous She may be ancient Egypts most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter. If we need a national holiday for the second Monday in October, lets at least honor an AMERICAN who hasnt been shown to be the prime mover in the torture/death/destruction of so many people. Why Should Columbus Day Be Celebrated | Hearinnh The king wrote, We in his name will receive you with love and charity, respecting your freedom and that of your wives and sons and your rights of possession and we shall not compel you to baptism unless you, informed of the truth, wish to convert to our holy Catholic faith., Columbuss drive for exploration was religious. . All islands I would love to visit on a single trip. Not just Europeans, but everyone. Trends are really hard to detect in a country as divided as ours, but Ive noticed two developments in my work teaching high school and teaching at Harvard. Columbus Day was a solution to a problem that most people didn't know existed. The Columbus controversy can also help students see that history is still applicable today. What are some Facts about Christopher Columbus? Along and through History, conquerors have had violent behaviour. These books have fueled the trends I mentioned around Columbus Day. Ahh, well, semantics. This was a sign of things to come. Why Are We Still Celebrating Columbus Day? | Study.com Thats a lesson for later. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? 1. Columbus Day is a national holiday in the United States that celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. Columbus may have recorded that he "found" America, but he was a. mass murderer. But I think considering the fact that Columbus also enslaved a group of people who were otherwise peaceful to him should be noted.