Guest Commentary

Why We Do Not Celebrate Columbus Day

Mike Raccoon Eyes in Native Condition. Discussion »

Celebration of Violence

The mindset of mainstream America is vastly different from the mindset of Native Peoples in regards to the so-called 'Columbus and Thanksgiving Days.'

To Native People, the two holidays represent racist symbols that are a direct slap in the face to Indian Country's historic trauma. Columbus destroyed entire Native populations in the Caribbean Sea. Up in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims did ethnic cleansing of the Wampanoag people, who had helped them survive.

Americans seem to have forgotten Sand Creek, Wounded Knee, Washita and other numerous sites of racial extermination against entire Native populations.

Indian Country's historical trauma is at the heart of it, when we as Native People have unresolved grief about this type of violence and death that involved the use of ethnic cleansing. So when mainstream celebrates the so-called 'Columbus Day and Thanksgiving Day', they are actually asking we in Indian Country to celebrate their culture's wars of violent killings and racial cleansing they did to our People.

Mainstream culture fails to see our total opposition to celebrate these racist events. They are viewed as rude, offensive and contributes to more racial discrimination and prejudice against Native communities and populations. I remember one time on the American Fourth of July in Texas, a friend and I burnt the American flag.

To tell you the truth as a Native Man, it felt pretty good. Simply put, a majority of Native American are fed up with such conduct. Many of us view, "how dare they have these racists acts of celebration!" Again mainstream culture does not have a clue of how truly angry and offended we are with these shameful and disgraceful 'holidays'.

These 'holidays' are in direct violation for the advancement of our People for more Human and Civil Rights for Indian Country. Many Natives will no longer accept this type of thinking. We are a People that must write and tell our own stories and histories, so that the truth be learned and told.

Enough is enough, this is one time that Indian Country will not go along to get along with mainstream culture's celebration of violence and killing of Native People.

Mike Raccoon Eyes is of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, out of Quallah, North Carolina. He has been a Native Advocate for more Human and Civil Rights for Indian Country for the past 25 years. He is the San Francisco Bay Area delegate for the Inter-Tribal Council of California. He is a writer and author on traditional and contemporary issues of Indian Country, as well gives inspirational motivational talks about the spiritual empowerment of Native Peoples. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

posted October 10, 2011 8:00 am edt