On Monday, October 13, LFA students enjoyed a long weekend for the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Until President Biden issued the federal proclamation of the holiday to be named Indigenous Peoples’ Day, it had previously been referred to as Columbus Day. The changing of the holiday’s name was a long time coming, as it is crucial for Americans to realize the land we stand on is stolen land. Once a year, instead of celebrating a colonizer who forcefully took land that was not his, Americans should commemorate the lives of the people who first lived on this land. Columbus’ accidental 1492 “discovery” of Caribbean Islands in the name of the Spanish crown opened Indigenous people up to the ravage of European diseases, as well as mass enslavement, deportation and violence.
It is important now to recognize this truth. President Trump in a recent post called Christopher Columbus “The original American hero,” and “one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.” He went on to say that “left-wing arsonists” have sought to destroy Columbus’ name and “dishonor his memory.” Trump has used his platform to polarize political parties and publicize the ideal that colonizers are heroes, perpetuating the harmful notion of racial hierarchy. The president’s refusal to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and his reclamation of Columbus Day as a federal holiday glorifies the tragedies put uponIndigenous Peoples. This not only ignores the violence of early colonization, but neglects the struggles indigenous people face today. Native people, especially women, face high levels of violence, rape and murder, and the lack of acknowledgement of these issues allows for the continuation of racial violence and ignorance.
Today, in a time of mass deportation and immigration debates, peaceful protests around America have broken out to protect the rights of the victims of the President’s administration, specifically regarding ICE’s illegal detaining rampage, and raise awareness of the immorality of it all. At these protests, cries of “No one is illegal on stolen indigenous lands” are heard throughout the country. It is used by activists to critique U.S. immigration policies by highlighting the historical context of the United States being founded on land acquired through the forceful displacement of indigenous people.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not just a long weekend, but a day to ensure the recognition of the injustices that occurred on the land we stand on.
