At my university, various Native American organizations united and reordered Columbus Day as Indigenous Day. Throughout the day cultural dances are performed and speakers present their opinions and issues about Columbus Day. Often times poster presentations are given that display forms of indigeneity, while students have an hour or two to display their own feelings of being Indigenous. Our university is one of the most diverse institutions in America with a large percentage of students being of Mexican and Native American descent. Although our university is diverse, there are still realms of racism that walk the premises of this institution. It never fails that during Indigenous Day, there are always a group of people who despise our claim of this day and often interrogate Indigenous people who are only displaying their act of pride in their culture and their language. They say that we must get over it and that everyone has been colonized in one way or another but I think others need to realize that to this day we are still suffering from post-colonization and assimilation efforts by the federal government through land claim issues and language extinction. I am annoyed with the lack of knowledge people know about their American history and even so the ignorance they have about Native American people. We do not live in teepees, we are not cannibals, and we don't wear loin cloths around our waist and huge feathers on our head.
Feel free to comment, I have said what I wanted to say.
I think Indigenous Day is a wonderful idea. Many people glorfiy Christopher Columbus when really he was a man seeking fame and fortune that was willing to do anything to have it.
the worse part about Christopher Columbus day is what the children are fed about Christopher Columbus in grammar school. The american public school system places Columbus on a throne and labels him a hero. ( ethnocentrics)