The cultural war raging around the City Council’s decision to rename Columbus Day as “Indigenous Peoples Day” poses a question being addressed throughout the country. To what extent do we acknowledge that the prosperity of the United States came with a great deal of suffering and exploitation, inflicted particularly on the Indigenous tribes and on enslaved Africans?
Some residents of Nonantum and elsewhere consider the renaming a slap in the face of the contribution made by Italian-Americans to the American enterprise. Interestingly, the City Council could have chosen Thanksgiving instead as a holiday needing a new name. The Thanksgiving story, which commemorates the success of the Plymouth colony in the 1620s, usually mentions that those European settlers would not have survived without the help of their Wampanoag neighbors. Sadly, within a few generations, those Indigenous people were nearly driven to extinction.The point? European colonization of the New World came at a high cost, which we should not forget.
Yet I celebrate both holidays and believe that their names should not be changed. For me the solution lies in a broader understanding of those occasions as well our recognition that history always has both winners and losers. The American enterprise from the outset has involved both glory and tragedy, heroism and exploitation. We owe it to future generations to acknowledge who was victimized along the way and to make such restitution as we can today.
First to Columbus Day. It is true that the Italian explorer was courageous and heroic. His “discovery” of North America, not the Viking visitation centuries earlier, led to the creation of the world we inhabit today, as Viking exploration did not lead to permanent settlement. We must acknowledge that for millions of Europeans, immigration to this hemisphere, though it usually involved great struggle at first, led to a freedom and prosperity impossible in Europe. Italians, Irish, Jews, and other ethnic groups from everywhere (especially those brought unwillingly!) contributed mightily to our country, and over time Columbus Day has offered an occasion to commemorate the immigrant experience.
I don’t begrudge the celebration and thus I wouldn’t alter its name. In fairness, however, we should also mention that Columbus, like most of his generation in Europe, possessed deep prejudice against people he considered “savages.” He enslaved the population of Hispaniola and forced them to work in gold mines and on plantations in horrific conditions. Sixty years later, the indigenous population there had declined from 250,000 to a few hundred. Was Columbus unique in his views and behavior? Hardly. Avarice makes it easy for powerful nations, which Columbus represented, to believe that the people they wish to exploit are less than human. Hence, our historical judgment of Columbus and virtually all the colonizers of the New World must be mixed. Their efforts ultimately created prosperity for millions, but they victimized innocent people whose only fault was being weaker than those who conquered them.
The Thanksgiving saga is particularly tragic. Massasoit was the Wampanoag chief who urged tolerance of the English colonists and struggled to live in peace and cooperation with them. Within a few decades, his son Metacomet, now the chief, felt that he had no choice but to rebel against European encroachments on tribal lands. Dubbed King Philip, he led a confederation of tribes against those settlements, which ultimately led to his defeat. After he was drawn and quartered, his head was placed on a pole and displayed at the Plymouth Plantation, site of that historic first Thanksgiving fifty-five years earlier, for two decades!
Yet Thanksgiving as currently celebrated, though it commemorates a short-lived era of peace between settlers and Indigenous peoples, has transcended its roots. It has become a time for families to gather and reflect on the blessings of life in our country. Almost everyone, from a descendant of the Pilgrims to a newly arrived immigrant, sees fit to commemorate it.
How do we resolve this contradiction? I suggest that at some point on those two holidays, we acknowledge the actual history: the good, the bad, and the ugly. That Columbus was flawed doesn’t mean that Italian-Americans have no legacy to be proud of. That European settlers treated Indians and slaves cruelly doesn’t invalidate our historical advances in the cause of liberty. Nonetheless, on Columbus Day and Thanksgiving we must tell the whole story and resist white-washing it. Moreover, we should continue to make amends by reducing barriers of discrimination against the Indigenous people of today and against the descendants of enslaved Africans. All of us deserve the full benefits of this extraordinary if flawed country.
Interesting take. I would argue that leaving the day’s name as “Columbus Day” suggests we are honoring Christopher Columbus himself. Is leaving the name as is really going to inspire deep reflection on our country’s brutal colonial origins?
I’m not sure the value gained by keeping the name the same is greater than what would happen if it was changed to Indigineous People’s Day.
But I agree with many of your core arguments. To build off of your points, let’s not kid ourselves that a name change on its own is that meaningful a change.
I will also comment on the absurd irony of people getting upset at the idea of changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s day because it is erasing a longstanding cultural tradition.
Only 2 Newton councilors voted against this….
so this is either mainstream or the council is mostly made up of radical progressives
This gets to the heart of the matter in a way that I had not fully thought through until this week: changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day both 1) appropriately acknowledged the inhumanity of Columbus and addressed the erasure of native people in our country and 2) denied Italian Americans an opportunity to celebrate their contributions to our country and reflect on the — sometimes violent — discrimination against Italian-American immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries.
I don’t agree with Bob’s dismissal of concerns about Columbus. But, having a holiday to commemorate and celebrate Italian Americans that’s not centered on Columbus makes a lot of sense.
New York City has a weekend celebration of National Puerto Rican Day every summer, complete with parade. Newton should do the same, but for Italian Americans.
I have enumerated Columbus’s sins but also recognized that the day commemorates more than the historical figure. Let the debate be joined!
Why not “All Americans’ Day”? (Well, you say ‘no’ because it leaves “Columbus” out, or because it leaves ‘Indigenous’ out”? Well then, how about ‘Indigenous, Italian, Sicilian, Irish, Asian, Jewish, Spanish, Anglican, African, Swedish, Swiss, Portuguese, etc., etc., etc. etc. Day”?)
Thus debate has revealed the conundrum that confronts the city: the value of the messenger and importance of authenticity, and how so few people in Newton’s public life these days have it when it comes to racial and social justice matters. There is much to admire in the city’s desire for pursuing social justice. But this debate shows how ineffective the city is as a vehicle for racial/social justice. Let’s be honest: the city and its residents often represent the same institutions, professions and practices that have perpetuated and inhibit the very conditions that they now try to redress. There are many great things about Newton today, but diversity, inclusion, racial justice, “welcoming”etc. are not among them. They’re admirable goals, but real change will require far more cost, effort, and overcoming burdens than even the most progressive politician can (or will want to) achieve.
While I don’t necessarily agree with some the views or the rhetoric of the Save Nonantum group, they are absolutely correct to call out the heavy-handedness of city leaders who they think (correctly) look down on them and their customs and traditions. Not to mention the fact that ridding us of Columbus Day, while satisfying to some folks, does little to actually advance racial justice. It just comes off as empty rhetoric, and part of the reason why the progressive camps in Newton will never accomplish as much as they want. Over-promising and underdelivering on promises are exactly what leads to disillusionment and disaster.
All that said, I think this debate has been helpful in creating a helpful dialogue on the importance of honoring both indigenous communities and the Italian American community. A little more humility would be a welcome change.
@ted – well said. Mic dropped.
Bugek – you say only two city councillors voted against it, but don’t you realize Newton is one of the most homogeneous cities in terms of politics in the country? This vote should not surprise you.
The point I made in the other post still holds. Where do you draw the line? Are we going to change the names July and August because they are named after Roman dictators? Or the Caesar salad? Are we going to tear down the pyramids? The colosseum? The Great Wall of China? They were all built by slaves. And on that point our Nation’s capital is Washington DC – or “slave owner” district of “murderer”. It was named after Washington AND Columbus.
We need to study and honor our history. We need to learn from it and make better choices for our present and future. Italian Americans like many groups in this country were persecuted at one point, and we need to honor their contributions. Remember, our country is named after an Italian! Changing the name of Columbus Day is insulting to many people, myself included, and to say the vote was 22-2 is not acknowledging that Newton city politicians are a very homogeneous bunch. No I don’t think Columbus “discovered” anything, nor do I think he was a good man, however he lived 500 years ago and I guarantee everyone opposed to his actions today would have been very accepting of them had they lived in 1492.
I want to extend my appreciation to Bob for writing on that matter in a way that prompts thoughtful, respectful, and polite discussion, even among those with strongly held fews. I’m thinking that those kids who had him as a teacher all those many years learned some important things beyond the particular subject matter he covered!
Er, “views.”
Before the Civil War, the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes held approximately 10,000 people of African descent in bondage. Because those slaves belonged to Native Americans and not American citizens, the 13th Amendment did not free them.
The Cherokee National Government voluntarily freed its slaves in 1863. The United States negotiated a treaty with the other four tribes in 1866 stipulating that they must release their slaves and grant them full rights as citizens. If they failed to comply with those terms they would forfeit payment for lands ceded to the United States by the same treaty. Few of the slaves freed by Native American tribes were ever accepted as citizens of their tribes.
http://recordsofrights.org/events/122/slavery-in-indian-territory
I apologize. My previous comment is a bit misleading. There’s plenty of evidence that the ancestors of all so-called ‘modern’ humans, including all ‘Americans’, (so-named after Amerigo Vespucci, a citizen of the Republic of Florence), and all other homo sapiens on this planet, all cultures and heritages, were African, including those of the first homo sapient inhabitants of this continent, who evidently came from Mongolia, and whose descendants are now referred to as “Indigenous’. Maybe, we should rename this country the ‘United States of Mongolianas’, or the United States of Africanas, but be more precise.
How slippery is this getting? Should we “cancel” United Kingdom because they pretty much colonized most of the world back in the day.
Establish a national database of any slave owning ancestors and “cancel” any existing family members?
How far?
@Pretentious Newton–what in the name of heaven is your point?
@Bugek–You are spot on. The Newton City Council is planning to change the name of the United Kingdom, Caesar salad, July, and Washington DC. That was exactly my takeaway from Bob Jampol’s post too.
I do agree with the ‘where does this stop?’ question. Glad others are asking it. And some great examples.
Pretty much every historical moment of this country and many others can be cast in a negative light. We can apply today’s morals and world views to historical eras and find them lacking and thus …. state that every ‘advance’ … every ‘first’ … every ‘achievement’ is tainted by the moral failings of the person and or community that achieved it … and thus should NOT be commemorated or celebrated.
I think there is room to do both. Celebrate the wins. Let them inspire us to further advancements and gain … often with great risk. And remember that often times these advancements came with a cost that we can’t ignore and we can use this to inspire us to do better.
Columbus reshaped the world. His and his team’s accomplishment and daring deserve to be acknowledged.
I’d be very happy to have a day carved off for the people that were here first and remember the suffering and misery they endured.
But I’m not for eliminating Columbus Day.
Christopher Columbus died 514 years ago… The Native Americans owned African slaves until 1866 … Some tribes ignored the Emancipation Proclamation, citing sovereign nation status.. why is that part of history ignored ? The Cherokee treat the “Black Freedmen” with disrespect to this day… Yet the divisive virtue signalers focus on Columbus.. https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/native-americans-who-owned-slaves/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cherokee-nations-expels-d_n_936930
Pretentious Newton
Your facts do not fit the narrative. Your name pretty much sums up the liberal elite in Newton