The second Monday of October is a reminder to all American Indians that the country we live in is very ill-informed on the genocide and assimilation of its indigenous people.
Americans are not taught the true history of this country in school — even American Indians are not taught about what truly happened to us in school. Columbus Day to most people is just a day they get off of work or get out of school, but to American Indians it is just a reminder that we are getting closer to extinction.
The events that happened because of Columbus’s arrival created the largest genocide known to man. An estimated 150 million American Indians were here before he came, now there are an estimated one and a half million. Tribes have literally been wiped out, and that same fate is in the near future for many tribes. The harsh, dark reality is something all American Indians face and have to live with every day: in five generations, it is very likely their entire nation will no longer exist.
The second time Columbus came to America, he took 2,000 American Indian prisoners. The colonization that happened after brought disease leading to death, the loss of culture and land, rape and murder. After that, boarding schools forced assimilation, historical trauma, reservations, termination and sterilization. These all have lasting effects that are hurting tribes today.
Today, the Native American Student Union and allies will be protesting in the EMU Amphitheatre. Come and hear speakers, talk to the NASU students about Columbus Day and get a red cloth to wear in solidarity. Look out for the signs and information that will be posted around campus and sign the petition to free Leonard Peltier. Stand in solidarity with the American Indian students on your campus, on Indian land.
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