Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day

Okay, since I like to write about each holiday I felt like I needed to write a little something about this one and of course learn a little something in the process.  

Did Columbus Really Discover America?

When I was a kid we learned in grade school that "In 1492, Columbus sailed the blue" and discovered America.

Then in Junior High(they didn't have middle school back when I was that age) we had an amazing social studies teacher who really got us all excited about learning about history!  Can you even imagine?  One of the things I remember most about his teaching on Columbus was that he straight out told us "Christopher Columbus was a scumbag!"  Of course being 7th graders , this put us in an uproar of laughter and intrigued us.  He explained that he was a man who was sent to look for gold , ended up in the wrong place and once he landed and found the natives he enslaved them, even cutting their hands and feet off as a typical practice.  I think he got scolded by the principal because one of my classmates told on him.

Well, I've learned a bit more about this since then from various sources.  Ever heard of Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism?  You can check out this article on Khan Academy to understand their meanings.

You see, I have no doubt that what Columbus did was heinous according to today's standards in our culture, but do you know about the culture he was a part of at that time?  How about the culture that he landed into?  His culture were conquerors as most were in those days.  The culture he landed into, natives were at war with each other and one or more of the tribes were cannibals. Let's just say most of us today can not really relate to what it was like to be on either side back then.

Enter in the notion of Indigenous Peoples' Day in some places in this country.  I have no issue with marking a day of remembrance for Indigenous People, but why change Columbus Day, why not just have their own day?   Why keep Columbus Day at all?  Here's an interesting article about Indigenous Peoples' Day.

If you look back at why Columbus Day was instituted in the text of the link at the top of this blog post, you will see that a lot of people originally celebrated it to honor Columbus' achievements and the Italian-American heritage. Then controversy started and other states and countries chose to celebrate it a different way and call it something else.

So, My Point...

Well, I don't really have one.  I do want to say that we as people, not just Americans, have to learn from our past mistakes and those that have come before us.   

When I read the bible it seems very foreign to me, it's violent and the culture is so off.  But when you sit down and research those times and cultures, you understand the context of each book.  Sometimes things make sense and click, other times even when I understand , I can't make sense of what happened.  

But, we learn.  We learn that even with our mistakes God loves.

So, if you have the day off, enjoy it with friends and family.  In the end, it's really just a day off.  Reflect on the past and learn from it.  Find your mistakes and learn from them.  Ask for forgiveness and repent.

Or Maybe I do have a point: There was and is only One who was Perfect-Jesus

Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.




I love the below song lately:  It has spoken to me a lot these past couple of weeks when I've struggled with some personal issues.  I hope it speaks to you too in whatever way you need it today.

Who says you gotta have it all figured out
Who says you'll never feel alone in the crowd
Who says you gotta be like everyone else
Who says?