Seeing as Columbus's arrival in America was not a good thing for any of the native people currently living there, I find it a little bit upsetting that once every year we insist on reminding their few remaining ancestors Columbus discovered the land that they were already living on and that over the next four hundred years or so, they were systematically driven out to make way for the white settlers.
We tend to think that Columbus Day marks the beginning of a new era of colonization and world powers, but we try to forget that it also marks the end of a multitude of cultures. These cultures were largely undisturbed by outsiders.
I learned that in many Latin American countries, the holiday is actually more of a celebration of culture and such, rather than that of a deceased European. I was especially fascinated to learn that in Venezuela, it is actually called The Day of Indigenous Resistance.
This brought a smile to my face, knowing that not everyone agrees with the Europeans. It's nice to know that at least one country would rather recognize the civilization that was destroyed and make some effort to preserve it.
Why do we celebrate Columbus Day? Wasn't it a triumph for Spain, and not the European countries than most Americans are from?
In celebrating Columbus Day, are we hurting the Indigenous people?
After learning about Native Americans this year, I agree that Columbus Day is offensive to the Indigenous people. Although I am not an Indigenous person and do not know how they feel, I think the holiday is an insult to their people. Columbus Day signifies when America was discovered, but the Native Americans had been there for hundreds of years first.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore there is controversy if Columbus was actually the first foreign person to arrive in America. By getting the day of school off for Columbus Day, and not for other important holidays, we are offending Native Americans