In 1492, after Christopher Columbus famously sailed the ocean blue, he discovered lands that were already inhabited by indigenous people. Nevertheless, for more than 80 years, Americans have celebrated Columbus Day on the second Monday of October. A growing number of cities, however, have sought to abolish the traditional holiday and replace it with a day that acknowledges and celebrates the millions of people who were already living in the United States when Christopher Columbus arrived. The idea of Indigenous Peoples Day was originally proposed in 1977 by a delegation of indigenous nations to the United Nations-sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas. Berkeley, California, was …show more content…
The Council’s resolution articulated that Indigenous Peoples’ Day serves as a chance “to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of indigenous people on this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that the Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi and other indigenous peoples add to communities throughout Michigan, the Great Lakes, and all over the world.” The most recent city to join the growing movement, Ann Arbor—through its resolution—recognized that the people from the Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Wyandot tribes lived on the land and along the Huron River in the area for hundreds of years before Ann Arbor's founding as a city. Moreover, the resolution noted that the establishment of the University of Michigan was made possible by a land grant from the Ojibwa (Chippewa), Odawa (Ottawa) and Bodewadimi (Potawatomi) tribes in the Treaty of Fort Meigs. The Council’s decision ultimately serves as the recognition of a shift toward public policy and practice that better reflects the need to understand the “experiences of Native American people and uplift our country’s indigenous roots, history and …show more content…
Tiger, also expressed support of the initiative in a letter to the mayor and city council and requested that they honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day. “As you may know,” he stated: “Columbus Day is hurtful and painful to our native peoples while Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to reflect upon and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Indigenous nations add to our state. We ask you to take notice of the numerous contributions made to communities through Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosophy, arts, and the deep cultural contribution that has shaped the character of the State of
The credit for this change of view can be given to Washington Irving, who wrote a biography based on Columbus in 1828. This biography romanticized him and gave people the idea that he was this courageous hero who despite people’s claims that he’ll never succeed, ended up discovering what lies past the Atlantic. This biography gathered the momentum needed to catapult the collective opinion of Columbus higher in America. As time passed, more biographers wrote about him which resulted in groups forming, particularly the Knights of Columbus. They’re the group that pressed for a nationally recognized Columbus Day, which passed in
Columbus Day was not always a federal holiday. Traditionally, the holiday was observed on the 12th of October locally. Columbus Day first became a holiday in Colorado in 1906. Through lobbying by Angelo Rose, Generoso Pope, and The Knights of Columbus, Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. It was signed in by Franklin Roosevelt. Since 1970, the holiday has been observed on the second Monday of October. Columbus Day had lobbying against it as well. During the early days before information was not easily available, it was said that the holiday would be used to spread Catholic influence. In later years during the Information Age, arguments such as Columbus 's character or the genocide and slavery of the Indians became widespread arguments against the celebration of the holiday. There are also many arguments as to why the holiday should be kept. Columbus 's voyages led to the colonization of the New World. His expeditions spurred the Age of Exploration, where many European countries continued to invest in exploring for shorter and faster routes to India and the Orient, and new territories to claim. His voyages also led to the Columbian
Christopher Columbus does not deserve to be honored as a hero with his own holiday. Close to 500 years, people have praised Christopher Columbus and also celebrated him as though he was the one who truly founded America. Teachers teach students that he was a great man, also how he found treasures and land known as America. Students are also taught about the names of his three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they did not teach us the truth about Christopher Columbus, and his so called “discovery”.
...higan, they are The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The Little River Band is full and rich in culture. Some people don’t acknowledge the Ottawa tribe here in Manistee Michigan, or really even know who they are or how they feel. I feel as though that the Ottawa tribe has a huge positive impact on Michigan’s history. Thereby, I have written this essay to discuss and reveal the culture and the day-to-day of the Ottawa tribe with observations, interviews and research.
Rynard, P. (2001). Ally or colonizer?: The federal state, the cree nation and the james bay agreement. Journal of Canadian Studies, 36(2), 8.
In the 1880’s, it was thought that common stewardship of land was one of the biggest obstacles to cultural assimilation for the Native Americans. This sentiment lead to the creation
Generations of native people in Canada have faced suffering and cultural loss as a result of European colonization of their land. Government legislation has impacted the lives of five generations of First Nations people and as a result the fifth generation (from 1980 to present) is working to recover from their crippled cultural identity (Deiter-McArthur 379-380). This current generation is living with the fallout of previous government policies and societal prejudices that linger from four generations previous. Unrepentant, Canada’s ‘Genocide’, and Saskatchewan’s Indian People – Five Generations highlight issues that negatively influence First Nations people. The fifth generation of native people struggle against tremendous adversity in regard to assimilation, integration, separation, and recovering their cultural identity with inadequate assistance from our great nation.
“Defining one’s ‘culture’ is a life long process,” according to Indian rights activist Norman DesCampe of the Grand Portage Chippewa Tribe. “You have to live it.” Today, the life long process of understanding indigenous cultures is limited by terms of “cultural survival.” The ability of future generations to define themselves as Inuit or Kayapo is threatened as their natural environments and social integrity is hurt by government negligence: indigenous cultures must be protected under a political structure that allows the people to live as they choose to live, outside of the transformative power of established nation-states, and the assumptions of these powers.
The Indian act, since being passed by Parliament in 1876, has been quite the validity test for Aboriginal affairs occurring in Canada. Only a minority of documents in Canadian history have bred as much dismay, anger and debate compared to the Indian Act—but the legislation continues as a central element in the management of Aboriginal affairs in Canada. Aboriginal hatred against current and historic terms of the Indian Act is powerful, but Indigenous governments and politicians stand on different sides of the fence pertaining to value and/or purpose of the legislation. This is not shocking, considering the political cultures and structures of Aboriginal communities have been distorted and created by the imposition of the Indian Act.
Day 1: Students will be introduced to the federal policies that affected Native American. There are seven distinctive periods for Native Americans since the arrive of Europeans. The students will be divide into seven groups where they will brainstorm what they think
July 11th 1990, marked the beginning date of the Oka Crisis in Quebec Canada. It lasted until September 26th 1990 resulting in one fatality of a local police officer. The violent clash was triggered by something as simple as a golf course extension and as complicated as native burial traditions. It had drawn world attention, catapulting native land rights into the mix. The Oka Crisis is just one of many conflicts between the Aboriginals and the Canadian government. A major issue that has been of much debate in the 20th century has been Native sovereignty. The demand sounds simple, allow Aboriginals of Canada to govern themselves; however, coexisting with the Canadian government makes this idea extremely complicated. Roger Townshend states that there is a difference in perception between Non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people about jurisdiction over Canadian territory and that is one reason Aboriginals should be governing themselves. Opposing this view, Thomas Flanagan argues against Native sovereignty for it is not a workable mechanism in Canadian politics. Native sovereignty can never coexist with Canadian sovereignty because of the complexity of having a third level of government, a resolution cannot be breached since each tribe’s traditions are different, and the idea of having a functioning conglomerate of native groups is very improbable.
Like many Americans I initially grouped all Native Americans into one melting pot. During the Haskell Indian Nations cultural day, on June 21,st 2010, the speakers talked about how different tribes are not the same; they have different beliefs...
Bouchard, Jen. "Native American Education and Employment." Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. .
Have You ever thought about the people who inhabited this land before it was stolen from them? Do you know who they were besides the false name they are given, the things they’ve accomplished and how they have helped us today? in this paper you will learn about the life and hardship the original Americans have endured for over 300 years.
Project, Harvard. The State of the Native Nations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. 221-222.