Right now, across the country, cities and schools are faced with the question, Should we celebrate Columbus? Were facing similar questions about how we commemorate the confederacy and the Civil War. Columbus stole gold and valuables from native people, often killing to get them, and brought them back to Spain. Columbus Day is a patriotic holiday. We all own it. We should be honoring culture that was lost all and the native people that died the instead of the man who killed them. Conclusion s.async=true; s.src="http://widgets.amung.us/a_pro.js"; While it isnt spotless, to pretend something didnt happen, or to degrade the forefathers who created our remarkable nation, is counterproductive and dangerous. Or Napoleon Bonaparte Day, for that matter. How weird is that?! Stay Out of the Water: Does a Prehistoric Shark Still Live in the Ocean? Columbus tortured and murdered many thousands of native peoples. He was. The importance of exposing students to the many truths about the controversial explorer. April 19, 2007 at 1:10 p.m. Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since President Franklin D. Roosevelt first proclaimed it such in 1934. Alaska was second, in 2017, enacting Indigenous Peoples Day. Even if its bad or becomes romanticized, its still far better to remember history than erase it. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. So before waving the US flag in celebration of a criminal who did not discover America, spare a thought for the millions of Native Americans who were murdered as a result of Christopher Columbus arrival on American soil. Columbus sailed regardless of the harsh conditions on the ship A movement grows to re-examine Columbus's legacy and abolish his holiday. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. 6. 10 Shocking Facts about the Ancient Romans, The Secret Tomb of the First Chinese Emperor Remains an Unopened Treasure, Archaeological Treasure Trove! | Select | norfolkdailynews.com, TOP 10 12 reasons why we should celebrate columbus day BEST and NEWEST, TOP 10 10 reasons why pluto is not a planet BEST and NEWEST, TOP 9 zach 13 reasons why BEST and NEWEST, TOP 9 you know why these b love me baby lyrics BEST and NEWEST, TOP 10 whyd you only call me when youre high lyrics BEST and NEWEST, TOP 9 why you treat me so bad BEST and NEWEST, TOP 9 why you so obsessed with me lyrics BEST and NEWEST, TOP 10 why you so obsessed with me gif BEST and NEWEST. In reality, when we as the people of the United States celebrate Christopher Columbus day, we honor a man who was a supporter of rape, enslavement, violence, and control over anyone he deemed inferior to him. Columbus Day is one of the oldest holidays in the USA And in general, we want to students to engage with controversy. The Vikings were actually the first non natives to discover America. Now theres a deed worth celebrating every year! I just think hes been terribly maligned. Delaney points out that in the mans own writings and the writings of those who knew him, Columbus seems to be very much on the side of the Indians and even adopted the son of an American Indian he had befriended. The day celebrates a fictionalized and sanitized version of colonialism, whitewashing generations of brutality that many Europeans brought to these shores. 3. James Loewens Lies My Teacher Told Me, and his shorter Lies My Teacher Told Me about Christopher Columbus, critique how textbooks have covered Columbus. There were already people living wherever he landed. He would have peoples ears and noses cut off as punishments. var wau_p = wau_p || []; wau_p.push(["fj82", "a5d63278", false]); October 10, 2014 4:43 PM EDT. 6. The reason Columbus set sail on his epic journey in the first place was because he raped the 13-year-old daughter of a Spanish Duchess. Very trying! sums it up for Daniel, creator of Stories Guaranteed to Make You Sick, Dr. Crankenfuss books, Moose Jokes, & now Practically News. The Zinn Education Project also includes a bunch of primary sources related to Columbus, such as writings by Bartolom de La Casas. Indigenous cultures are under threat of extinction. CONTACT US: Columbus celebrates the beginning of cultural exchange between America and Europe. Columbus Day is one of Americas oldest holiday, and is a patriotic holiday. Millions of people across the USA chose to honor Columbus and all that he accomplished. Columbus set a precedent for exploration of the new world. No, thanks. Columbus Day is one of the only holidays named after a person, Christopher Columbus. Lost and Found Evidence of Extreme Size Life Forms Everywhere! And Washington, D.C., this week renamed the holiday, pending congressional approval. Students need to grapple with these multiple perspectives in history and the not-so-pleasant aspects of our past. I think history teachers have a responsibility to prepare students to comment critically and participate critically in the discourse about who we are honoring, who we are celebrating, and how we are doing it. 9. harmony in order to life, Should We Celebrate Columbus Day?. The purpose of his voyage was to find an all-water route to Asia. The tradition of observing Columbus Day dates back to the 18th century in this country. Warren H. Carroll describes the natives (the Taino people) as a gentle, happy, attractive people living peacefully in good ecological balance with their surroundings in Article The explorers took advantage of these good people, and we celebrate that as a national holiday. Some argue against celebrating Columbus as a historical figure due to the violence and . The Natives were here first and so it should be Happy Indigenous People Day! Christopher Columbus is revered as the conqueror of the new world; but many people have a different view of his accomplishments. Some of the reasons why it's important to celebrate indigenous people include: 1. Columbus Day means that finally, America was economically assimilated to Europe, in those times peopled by Western dominant civilizations. Dinner Invitations for Famous People from the Past, about Christopher Columbus: Master Double Agent and Portugals 007, about Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus, The Discovery that Revealed Ancient Humans Navigated the Seas 130,000 Years Ago, The Oldest Art in the World Wasnt Made By Homo sapiens. To the Editor: He was neither honorable, nor exemplary; he was a mass murderer, so we should not honor him with a holiday. While there is plenty to criticize about Columbus, and what followed his arrival, I think this movement is missing the point. In 1892 the Pledge of Allegiance was written to honor him Worshipping great men has been a dominant way of looking at history. However, despite his mistakes we owe him a lot for discovering the new world. The natives found him while he was lost at sea. In the 1500s, people were curious about the world and wanted to advance so they explored, the explorers who discovered different things were regarded as heros but even though Christopher. He did open up the islands for trade with Europe and bring in a lot of money for Spain (and himself), but he was not responsible for colonizing the mainland. Available in a range of colours and styles for men, women, and everyone. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 10 minutes with: Explore how the human body functions as one unit in harmony in order to life //= $post_title I. 1. 48 Vitosha Boulevard, ground floor, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria Bulgarian reg. Based on my experience, I think its vitally essential that teachers engage kids as young as sixth grade in questions that really interrogate Columbus. Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States includes horrific, detailed eyewitness accounts of how the Spanish explorers treated the Native Americans. Order custom essay Should We Celebrate Columbus Day? A day to remind ourselves that October 12, 1492 was the first day of . It requires looking at dominant narratives and counternarratives. Just as the country grapples with the meaning and problems of Confederate monuments, so too are schools, towns, and even whole states grappling with Columbus Day. Many are deciding to rename and refocus the holiday, choosing to call it Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor the people whose lives and cultures were irreparably damaged by the colonial conquest that the age of exploration ushered into being. We should not be celebrating the genocide of Native people and teaching children in elementary school that Columbus is a good role model. On October 11, 2021, America officially recognized the inhumane treatment that the Native Americans faced for centuries and honored the brave warriors who fought against the oppression and genocide of their people. Columbuss Native American slave trade morphed into the African slave trade by the mid-16th century. We may not like it, but its our shared heritage. Meg Medina is First Latina National Ambassador for, 16 Films Featuring Latinx Talent Coming out in, From Reggaeton to Dominican Dembow. One of the few facts Americans remember from history is Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Although Columbus wasnt the first to visit the New World (Vikings had traveled here centuries earlier), Columbus first widely publicized, and thus discovered, its existence to the Europeans. (Remember, they werent well versed in Spanish. He had many qualities that seemed to be admirable and a lot of people were proud of him. But its not recognized in Los Angeles, where I live. By 1555, there were zero full-blooded natives left on the island. So, why should we celebrate Columbus Day if he wasnt the one who founded America completely and might not have been the perfect leader? 2. All rights reserved. Whether or not you celebrate Columbus Day is your choice. Did the Yuan Dynasty's Use of Paper Money Cause Hyperinflation? In fact, that's probably all you really remember about the . By the eleventh century Vikings, who were early Scandinavians, had not only visited but already had established settlements in North America (Article 2). //= $post_title If they would have stopped sailing then they wouldnt have discovered America. They dont want the sales to stop. 1. Some of the contributions include the fact that all men are created equal. Seems pretty appropriate at this moment in time doesnt it?! Mo Rocca embarks on a journey to discover more about the explorer we honor each year. Columbus actually thought he was in the East Indies. https://www.instagram.com/p/BojtcnmlBjE/?tagged=christophercolumbus. Breaking: Ancient Royal Tomb Discovered in Egypt. 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