Columbus Day? -Nicole Chatham 6th period

This week I read an article about Columbus Day and the shift of focus away from it. According to this article, Columbus Day is one of the most inconsistently celebrated holidays, with only 23 states recognizing it as a paid holiday. Also, instead of Columbus Day, many schools and cities are now celebrating the second Monday in October as Indigenous People's Day. This form of the holiday focuses more on the New World people that Christopher Columbus encountered, as well as their descendants. This shift of focus is part of the attempt to clarify Columbus' role in the discovery of the New World, as well as to connect American history to indigenous culture.

 
Analysis- Overall, I found this article to be quite intriguing as this holiday appears to be changing!  However, it isn’t much of a surprise to me that Columbus Day isn't as celebrated as other holidays. I remember wondering what its actual significance was even back when I was much younger and had heard about it at school. I relate this topic back in US history to Christopher Columbus and the first European encounters with the Native Americans. The European explorers and colonists often underestimated and misunderstood the intelligence that the Native Americans possessed, and disregarded them. The focus at that time was primarily on the European explorers and their actions, instead of the Native Americans. The Native Americans during that time frame didn’t have as much of a voice nor were they recognized among the different cultures assembling in the New World. I am glad that people are honoring the Indigenous people of our country today, because their history is also an important part of the formation of the United States.

Link to Article