Columbus Day, Indigenous Remembrance Day

My Indigenous and Native American ancestors are finally getting some respect. Columbus Day is getting re-branded. I know that my ancestors would be thrilled to see more American cities recognize the truth: That Columbus did not ‘discover’ America. Thankfully, some cities, like Seattle, are now giving the Columbus Day holiday a Native flavor.

“This year’s Columbus Day holiday will have a slightly different, more Native flavor in the city of Seattle. Thanks to a unanimous vote this summer by the city council, the federal holiday will now be known by a different name: Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The name change comes after activists pushed for a day to honor indigenous people instead of Christopher Columbus, the most recognizable figure linked to European contact with the Americas.” For the complete story, click here.

I hope one day New York City will see the light. There’s certainly plenty support in this town.

Many truths were heard loud and clear recently, at a rally in New York City near the landmark statue of Christopher Columbus at Columbus Circle. Native Americans, Indigenous groups, regular New Yorkers and tourists participated in a Pow Wow to focus attention on the “grand theft, genocide, racism, torture, and maiming of Indigenous people,” by Columbus and other American, Spanish, and British colonizers.

The New York gathering included: Ecuadoran community activists, Sharakapk Earth Keepers, Inwoodearthkeepers@gmail.com, Biblioteca Indigenamovil (mobileindigenouslibrary.webs.com) Chief Plenty Coups, Apsaalooke, Crow, Indigenous Outreach Project, Citizens Committee for New York City, Garifuna Coalition (www.garifunacoalition.org), Colectivo Popol VujItinerante, and more.

Would you swap Columbus Day for Indigenous Remembrance Day?

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