Indigenous Peoples-Columbus Day - (A True Story)
In 1990, the Berkeley City Council passed a law changing the name of
Columbus Day to Native American Day because Columbus wasn't nice to
the Indians. Of course, no Indians were asked if they wanted the
holiday's name changed or if they wanted to be called Native
Americans.
In 1991, the Berkeley City Council changed the name again, to
Indigenous People Day. A group of P.C.ers argued that Indians are not
native to America but to Asia, so calling them Native Americans might
be insulting to Asians. Of course, neither the Indian or Asian
communities were consulted about this.
In 1992, the Italian American Anti-Defamation League gave the City of
Berkeley their Insensitivity Award. The Italian-American group said
that they agreed that Indians haven't been treated well, but that the
Italians weren't the ones who did it, so why take away their holiday?
Nobody asked Italian-American how they felt about renaming Columbus
day.
In 1994, the Berkeley City Council changed the holiday back to
Columbus Day.
In 1995, representatives of the Winnamucca Indians protested City
Council meetings. They argued that Indians had never asked that
Columbus day be renamed to honor Indians, since it had, the City
Council couldn't take it back, less they become "indigenous peoples
givers."
In 1996, the City Council changed the name to Indigenous Peoples -
Columbus Day.
Currently there are people lobbying to rename the holiday Animal
Rights Day.
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