Each year, millions of Americans celebrate Columbus Day and while the historical significance of Columbus landing in the West goes without saying, the legacy of his “discovery” has changed dramatically. For some, it’s a time to remember the Italian explorer who opened the Americas to Europe. But for others, it's an opportunity to critically interrogate Columbus's legacy of colonialism as well as honor and celebrate the people who lived here long before his arrival.
Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates Native Americans and challenges the existing Eurocentric celebration of conquest and discovery that ignores the brutal reality of colonization. Italian Americans feel the trend in replacing Columbus Day is offensive to their heritage but Native American groups say the holiday embraces Western colonialism and the genocide of indigenous people. Although contentious, more 50 than communities nationwide have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.
The articles below offer an opportunity to understand just a few of the historical and contemporary struggles indigenous people continue to face.
Quechua Language Programs in the United States: Cultural Hubs for Indigenous Cultures
Américo Mendoza-Mori, Chiricú Journal: Latina/o Literatures, Arts, and Cultures 1.2
The Lone Ranger Unmasked: Zorro and the Whitewashing of the American Superhero
John J. Valadez, Chiricú Journal: Latina/o Literatures, Arts, and Cultures 1.1
First Nations and Native Souths on Both Sides of the 49th Parallel
Sophie McCall, Deanna Reder and Eric Gary Anderson, The Global South 9.1
Celebrating the Chagras: Mestizaje, Multiculturalism, and the Ecuadorian Nation
Emma Cervone, The Global South 4.1
Mesoamerican Women's Indigenous Spirituality: Decolonizing Religious Beliefs
Sylvia Marcos, Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 25.2
Roundtable Discussion: Native/First Nation Theology
Andrea Smith, Michelene Pesantubbee, Dianne M. Stewart, Michelle A. Gonzalez, Sylvester Johnson and Tink Tinker, Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 22.2
Discursive Discriminations in the Representation of Western Mono and Yokuts Stories: Confronting Narrative Inequality and Listening to Indigenous Voices in Central California
Paul V. Kroskrity, Journal of Folklore Research 50.1-3
Translating Oral Literature in Indigenous Societies: Ethnic Aesthetic Performances in Multicultural and Multilingual Settings
Sean Patrick O'Neill, Journal of Folklore Research 50.1-3
"A Real Feminine Journey": Locating Indigenous Feminisms in the Arts
Nancy Marie Mithlo, Meridians 9.2
Race, Tribal Nation, and Gender: A Native Feminist Approach to Belonging
Renya Ramirez, Meridians 7.2
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