Columbus? It's 'Indigenous People's Day' in Mpls.
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Columbus Day brings up bad childhood memories for Sandi Mason, an American Indian woman who recalls classmates calling her Pocahontas and squaw at her Minneapolis school.
It wasnt a good day for us, she said Friday at Minneapolis City Hall. We got teased.
But future generations may have a different vision of the second Monday in October, following a City Council vote Friday to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day on what is now Columbus Day. The city will still recognize Columbus Day for legal purposes, but the new holiday will be reflected on all official city communications such as the city calendar and website.
The thump of traditional drumming rang through the halls as hundreds of activists gathered to commemorate the change. About 7,600 residents of Minneapolis or 2 percent of the population are American Indian, according to the 2010 census.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/256788831.html?page=all&prepage=1
Well done, Minneapolis City Council!
Unfortunately, the comments section on Startrib has turned into Free Republic.
In the meantime here's The Sopranos scene where Furio disses Columbus:
Wolf Frankula
(3,595 posts)n/t
Wolf
heaven05
(18,124 posts)'A People's History of the United States', this is a small step toward rectifying genocide perpetrated on this nations first americans. But admirable.
dflprincess
(28,057 posts)this is making the right wing types crazy (and many of them admit that they don't live in the city).
One thing of noticed in the Strib's comments sections is that it you want to bring the racists out in Minnesota, print an article that has something to do with Native Americans.
unionthug777
(740 posts)of course, i am biased, being native american. i don't care for easter, independance day, thankstaking, christmas...though, i will do it for the grandchildren. that is just me, though.
alp227
(31,962 posts)unionthug777
(740 posts)annm4peace
(6,119 posts)I hope other days follow.. many i know in minneapolis haven't called it columbus day for awhile.. we call it Happy Indigenous day.
so glad it is official. 1st time I heard what Columbus did,, I didn't want to give him any honor at all anymore.
If I was a teacher I would teach them what he did.
RedCloud
(9,230 posts)The former is the conqueror and the latter an unfortunate twisting of history.
So hooray for the people of Minneapolis and your city council needs to stop spewing Inquisition propaganda.
cntrfthrs
(252 posts)Don't have a problem with Columbus as a an early explorer/pioneer so celebrate him as that. I just don't think he should be honored as one who discovered this land...