Many Indian rights activists who oppose the celebration of "Columbus Day" have posted this Abolish Columbus Day sign on their Facebook pages in support of Native peoples
We have the day off from school tomorrow in recognition of Columbus Day. I don’t recall ever having Columbus Day off before, but apparently New York takes the holiday pretty seriously. There are even parades and other events in different parts of the five boroughs to celebrate the “discovery of America.”
But, who was Christopher Columbus? And, does he deserve the honor of having his own holiday? Well, it depends on who you ask.
In school we are taught to respect Columbus because without him “we” might not be here today. (Obviously, in public school, we are not educated from the perspective of the native inhabitants.) But, according to sources like UnderstandingPrejudice.org,
Many people are surprised to learn that Christopher Columbus and his men enslaved native inhabitants of the West Indies, forced them to convert to Christianity, and subdued them with violence in an effort to seek riches.
So, what are your thoughts on this holiday?
-NativeJournalist
