I attended a Global Engagement night event which discussed Indigenous People’s Day and Columbus Day. The Global Engagement night focused on debunking the holiday of Columbus Day and the origins of the holiday. The workshop started with a brief discussion of the preconceived perceptions of Columbus and what previous school curriculums covered. In our small group we discussed how during our early childhood education, Columbus was portrayed as a hero who went on a grand adventure and discovered an entirely new continent which had no prior inhabitants. These misconceptions were perpetuated through our elementary education. Most members of our group talked about how when learning about early colonization indigenous people are rarely ever mentioned in a positive light. Our small group talked about how, as children, we celebrated Christopher Columbus as an American hero despite his active role in genocide.
After our small group sessions the presenters covered the history of Columbus Day in America. Originally the holiday was celebrated by Italian American’s who viewed Columbus as a national hero. During the time that Columbus Day was first celebrated, Italian Americans were strongly discriminated against in America. They viewed the holiday as a way to celebrate national pride in a climate that was hostile to them. Today there is a strong push to have Columbus Day renamed to Indigenous People’s Day. Indigenous People’s Day celebrates the cultures of the people who lived on this land before colonization, the struggles they have had, and recognizes the crimes that have been perpetrated against them. Indigenous People’s Day gives different groups of indigenous people chance to raise awareness and share their amazing cultures with other Americans. There is a strong backlash in some communities in America, which has made the transition to Indigenous People’s Day increasingly difficult to do in many areas.
The presenters also gave a short summary of the history of indigenous people in the Americas. Almost all of their history is ignored by history courses in primary and secondary education. The presenters detailed some of the different tribes that once lived in Ohio. They also covered the creation of reservations and the current conditions of the reservations. We learned that substance abuse and mental illness statistics are significantly higher for those living on reservations, but resources for getting help are few and far between. We also briefly discussed the Dakota Access Pipeline and how it disproportionately affected the Sioux tribe. We learned about the activist movements in America and how they are working to spread awareness and pass legislation benefiting Indigenous People. We also watched a video made by singer and rapper Supaman which showcased different tribes cultures and their struggles, especially the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline.