Indigenous Peoples Day VS Columbus Day - Assignment Example

Teacher It should be called Indigenous People’s Day The day should instead be called Indigenous People’s Day rather day Columbus Day. Celebrating Indigenous People’s day is more reminiscent of America’s history and therefore has more significance than Columbus Day. Thinking about it, Columbus Day is the beginning of discrimination, oppression and injustice against the Native Americans when America made contact with Europe. This discrimination and marginalization still continues today.

It is therefore more appropriate if we will call it Indigenous People’s Day rather than Columbus Day because it have more meaning in America’s history. There has been a growing activism against Columbus Day across America with more states adopting Indigenous People’s Day rather than Columbus Day. It is their way of saying that they are against the marginalization and racism that Columbus Day has bought to America when it came in contact with Europe through Christopher Columbus. Indigenous People’s Day is also inherently and patently American.

Celebrating Indigenous People’s day is the recognition and uplifting of America’s indigenous heritage and in a way, the celebration gives them some sense of empowerment which was deprived from them which begun when America came in contact with Europe. It is also a way of honoring Native Americans particularly the Indians which was deprived of them through continued marginalization since Columbus set foot on America’s soil.Of course not all will agree that Columbus Day should instead be replaced by Indigenous People’s Day.

Americans with Italian roots are likely to disagree with the change of the celebration (Ahtone). They are however on the minority side because most Americans who understood the painful history of injustice and marginalization of American Indians which started when Columbus set foot on America. Columbus legacy to America is checkered. True, the contact with Europe which was initiated by Columbus also had many benefits to present day America. The contact had also contributed to cultural as well as economic development of America and many Americans would not have come to the United States if Columbus did not set foot in America.

But in the same manner that Columbus influence contributed to the cultural and economic development America, it also helped ravage its cultural past and brought social problem to America. European contact with United States also bought many social injustice and along with are the pains that go with marginalization. Native American Indians who used to roam freely and reigned supreme on their native lands were suddenly deprived of their lands as European settlers begun grabbing their lands. More often than not, land grabbing did not only involved taking lands but also murder, rape and mayhem including enslaving American Indians.

We should also not forget that the idea of slavery is a European import which used to be unknown to America until Columbus set foot. Between the two, it is therefore better to celebrate Indigenous People’s day because it recognizes America’s cultural heritage. This cultural past of America that involves the Indian does not have an ounce of oppression against any other people compared to Columbus Day and therefore the celebration should be called Indigenous People’s Day. Work CitedAhtone, Tristan.

"Seattle Swaps Columbus Day For Indigenous Peoples Day" NPR. NPR, 12 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. .