From: peacenet@igc.org Date: 27 Sep 91 14:00 PDT Subject: Columbus Day Colorado Message-ID: <1563600015@igc.org> /* Written 9:10 pm Sep 25, 1991 by milo in cdp:alt.activism */ /* ---------- "Columbus Day, Colorado" ---------- */ American Indian Movement Declares War On Columbus Day Colorado AIM Announces Protest of Columbus Parade Date: Saturday, October 12, 1991 Place: State Capitol, Denver Colorado Time: Beginning at 9:00 A.M. AIM & American Indian Anti-Defamation League Call For Transformation of Racist Holiday The American Indian Movement (AIM) of Colorado, in conjunction with the American Indian Anti-Defamation League (AIADL), is calling for a major demonstration by American Indians and their allies on Saturday, October 12, 1991 beginning at 9 A.M., in Denver, Colorado on the west steps of the State Capitol Building to protest the expanding celebrations of the colonial Indian-killer, Christopher Columbus. At the rally, political war will be declared on the concept of Columbus Day as a national and state holiday, and a call will be made for all Indian People and our allies, actively, to confront the racist celebrations planned for the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the American genocide, and to transform Columbus Day into an inclusive celebration of the hemisphere's multicultural heritage. Colorado AIM will stand as an example by confronting the outrageous continuation of the Columbus Day Parade in Denver. The parade, despite denials by the organizers, is simply a celebration of the man who began the slaughter and transatlantic slave trade of American Indians. For us to allow the parade to take place without loud and active comment in this state, the birthplace of Columbus Day, would be to shirk our responsibility to past, present and future Indian generations, who continue to struggle for freedom and self-determination in our own land. On the day that the U.S. government kicks off its "official" celebration of genocide, we will be reminding the country that it was the Indians who discovered Columbus, that it was we who gave Europeans the key to agricultural salvation, that it was we who provided the successful prototypes of political democracy in the western hemisphere, that it was we who were living in a paradise free from most diseases and other European afflictions. And then we will remind America that it has been we who have suffered the most from invasion and plagues and famine and political and economic oppression for the past five hundred years. There will be no escaping the historical record for the would-be revelers. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL JOIN US AND OUR ALLIES ON THE STEPS OF THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1991, AS WE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BLOWING OUT THE CANDLES ON COLUMBUS' 500th ANNIVERSARY CAKE. COLUMBUS DAY STARTED IN COLORADO AND WE MEAN TO STOP IT IN COLORADO! +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT OF COLORADO Contact: Glenn Morris, Co-Director (303) 871-0463 ================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: gtrujillo@igc.org Date: 29 Sep 91 15:36 PDT Subject: Re: Columbus Day Colorado Message-ID: <1563600023@igc.org> From: q8n@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) Subject: Re: Columbus Day Protest Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1991 16:16:00 GMT I certainly agree that Columbus Day should be a multicultural celebration of those we currently find living in the Americas. However, at the risk of being severely toasted, isn't this call for protest somewhat self-defeating? I mean, how many non-Native Americans do you (I'm asking for thoughts from the "you" of the collective net) think are going to be attracted with the type of rhetoric evidenced in the Colorado AIM call for protest? Do you think that protests ONLY from Native Americans will be sufficient to begin the process of (for lack of better words) trying to heal previous, and grievous wrongs? I don't. It goes against how I perceive the U.S. government, for one, to work. For example, there is no doubt that cultural and physical genocide has been (and contiues to be) practiced against Native Americans. As such, we should (and I try to in my classes) educate non-Natives about these practices in the hope of bringing about sympathy and change. However, to claim that Columbus Day is a CELEBRATION of genocide is somewhat extreme, at least. Likewise, I think that American history books need to recognize the significant impacts of cultural and technological transfers from Native Peoples to European immigrants. However, to imply that the history of democratic practices only comes from Native sources and to deny the culture of democracy found in Europe (you know, the Greeks) will not sway many people to the legitimacy of recognizing the contributions of Native People. Cultural transfers went in both directions. For example, the Navajo adapted quite nicely to herding sheep that were brought to the Americas from Europe. (I just finished reading Locke's The Book of the Navajo. What do others think of it?) So culture and technology did flow in both directions. Sometimes the diffusion was unwanted, but at other times it appears to have been embraced by Native People. You are reading this on some form of computer, right? Anyway, these are just my thoughts. Understand that I am a non-Native reader of the net. I'm not trying to defend any of the practices of European newcomers, but I just think it may be disadvantageous to paint all aspects of non-Native culture in such a negative light as this post implies. Respectfully. Scott D. Camp q8n@psuvm.psu.edu - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: gtrujillo@igc.org Date: 29 Sep 91 15:37 PDT Subject: Re: Columbus Day Colorado Message-ID: <1563600024@igc.org> From: xeno@austen.u.washington.edu (Xeno Whitenack) Subject: Re: Columbus Day Protest Date: 28 Sep 91 20:07 PDT > I certainly agree that Columbus Day should be a multicultural celebration > of those we currently find living in the Americas. However, at the risk of > being severely toasted, isn't this call for protest somewhat self-defeating? > I mean, how many non-Native Americans do you (I'm asking for thoughts from > the "you" of the collective net) think are going to be attracted with the > type of rhetoric evidenced in the Colorado AIM call for protest? Do you > think that protests ONLY from Native Americans will be sufficient to begin > the process of (for lack of better words) trying to heal previous, and > grievous wrongs? I don't. It goes against how I perceive the U.S. > government, for one, to work. I would go to such a demonstration, and I think any non-racist who knew about the atrocities of Columbus and wasn't involved in something even more pressing would go out of her/his way to go. I don't think you should feel severely toasted, but rather severely ignorant. Not only was Columbus responsible for initiating the genocide of the very group of natives that at first helped him, but he was sponsored by the heads of the recently religious pure Spain, imfamous for its repression against and expulsion of its Moors and its Jews. Does the word "inquisition" ring a bell? Exploration and discovery are lofty terms that in our convoluded traditions essentially represent the not-so-lofty facts that what we were really doing is engaging in conquering, genocidal imperialism to the greatest extent allowed by law and custom. That is what the U.S. government and many of its citizens are still doing, even explicitly. > For example, there is no doubt that cultural and physical genocide has been > (and contiues to be) practiced against Native Americans. As such, we should > (and I try to in my classes) educate non-Natives about these practices in > the hope of bringing about sympathy and change. However, to claim that > Columbus Day is a CELEBRATION of genocide is somewhat extreme, at > least. Likewise, I think that American history books need to recognize the > significant impacts of cultural and technological transfers from Native > Peoples to European immigrants. However, to imply that the history of > democratic practices only comes from Native sources and to deny the culture > of democracy found in Europe (you know, the Greeks) will not sway many > people to the legitimacy of recognizing the contributions of Native People. It is critical that rememberance of such things as Columbus's voyage recall all the facts of what happened and not be glossed over and turned into a Christmaslike holiday. Why? Because that is a basis for society in general to remember accurately its own history. Why is that important? Because if you don't know your own history, you are much more likely to repeat it in a very bad way. I don't want to see any more "exploration" or "capitalism" for the sake of white America via the blood of non-white America, and I was, not by my own preferences, born a white American. I feel a lot better when I'm celebrating, as well as the rest of the time, when I know I'm celebrating something good and just. Likewise I feel better after protesting something evil and bad. That's all the reason it should take. Sincerely, Xeno - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: gtrujillo@igc.org Date: 29 Sep 91 15:43 PDT Subject: Re: Columbus Day Colorado Message-ID: <1563600026@igc.org> From: sskiner@igc.org Date: 28 Sep 91 19:15 PDT Subject: Re: Columbus Day Protest As a woman I have a hard time taking the Greeks seriously as a "democratic" society... only men had any voice. Also, slaves (as I understand it) weren't able to vote either. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: aadams@igc.org Date: 29 Sep 91 16:33 PDT Subject: Re: Columbus Day Colorado Message-ID: <1563600027@igc.org> well, the greeks were at least as democratic as, say the united states in the 1830's.... [sorry, but it does seem to fit] Namaste' Arlin Adams