“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” That one saying that we all learned at some point in our elementary history class. The man, the myth, the legend. The “discoverer” of the Americas, and the savior of the people he found there. At least that’s what we learned through most of our schooling, and many people still believe that story today. However, the truth is that Columbus most definitely did not discover anything, and his accidental “discovery” of the Americas led to centuries of suffering and injustice for all the indigenous peoples.
October 11th used to be a day to commemorate Columbus, however, Indigenous people have taken back this day and fixed what we use it for - reflecting, recognizing, celebrating, and educating. The history of Indigenous Peoples Day goes back to the late 70s, when the idea was proposed during a United Nations Conference that was addressing discrimination against Native Americans. Almost a decade later, South Dakota was the first state to officially celebrate the holiday and replace Columbus Day with it. This year, President Biden was the first president to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, meaning that the movement is truly growing and expanding.
Indigenous people have had a major impact on our world, and their contributions should be celebrated. All through history, natives have been painted as “uncivilized,” when in reality they were technologically advanced and had large developed civilizations. They had advanced agricultural technology, flowing water, knowledge about how to utilize what the earth gave them, development in astronomy, science, and mathematics, and so much more. It’s critical to learn more about Native Americans, who they are, their different cultures, and developments. Some examples are given here: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/about/understandings#eublock1
It is important to learn about Indigenous peoples, what they have done, how we can help, and what they need from us. Recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day as a national holiday is a step forward, but there is so much more to learn and do. Read about tribes near you, who occupied the land you live on? Learn on? Work on? Listen to Indigenous people about their problems and what can be done to help. Take action.
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