It’s turkey day in Canada.
But for our American neighbours, it’s Columbus Day, which commemorates the arrival of Columbus to the Americas on October 12, 1492.
Many Americans don’t see this as reason to celebrate.
The Examiner says,
For many in the United States, Columbus Day is just another holiday. It is a time to spend with family and friends, an opportunity to take a short vacation, an extra day of rest from a long work week, or it is the last chance for a barbecue before winter. But for others, it is a sharp and painful reminder that history has betrayed and forgotten the contributions of their people, the lives lost, and a rich culture that pre-dated colonization…
This drastic decrease in the indigenous populations of the Americas, later brought about the trans-Atlantic African slave trade, and was followed by indentured Chinese labor after slavery’s abolition. The thirst of cheap labor and the blood of the indigenous, Africans, and Chinese, still stain the soil that is the foundation of development in the New World.
Maybe it’s time to reconsider Columbus Day.
Today is “Native American Day” in South Dakota.
Discovered: New painting of Columbus.
The contention over Columbus Day in the United States has been going on for awhile. I think the nationally-recognized holiday is finally losing its significance. Many people see the celebration of such a man–one who honestly killed multiple indigenous peoples, destroyed their cultures and took over their land–as problematic and even offensive to those with indigenous backgrounds. It is essentially a celebration of the white man’s violent imperialism, and many no longer want to participate.
There is an interesting video on all of this at newsy.com. The video highlights a few different perspectives on the issue and cites various sources. It’s worth watching/commenting on if you have a few minutes:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/columbus_day_changes_over_time