Written by Erica Williams
Last month marked the 524th anniversary of the day Christopher Columbus stepped foot on the shores of North America and jumpstarted American colonization.
Across the U.S., Columbus Day is observed like any other national holiday. Post offices are closed, stores are only open for special hours, and many public and private universities, primary and secondary schools, and public school districts schools give their students a day off.
Sophomore Aubrey Skeeter, who is a member of the Native American Students Union (NASU), discussed how NASU started a petition last year for the school to officially observe “Indigenous People’s Day” rather than “Columbus Day.”
The group raised awareness through various social media platforms and a few protests. When asked if the changing of the name has affected the student body’s attitude towards Native issues, Skeeter feels as though it “has allowed indigenous students to feel slightly less excluded from the campus community… but [she doesn’t] think that it has brought about the type of awareness and change that students had hoped for.”
Skeeter sees the changing of the name of the holiday “as a stepping stone in bringing about awareness to indigenous identities and issues revolving around indigenous people.”
The Butler Center released an email following a protest by members of NASU regarding the construction of the pipeline. The email said that the college “affirms its commitment to the indigenous members of our community” by “strengthening our campus-wide understanding of Indigenous People’s Day, which CC began honoring in 2015” and by raising awareness through “educational programming —in collaboration with the student demonstrators” to “raise greater awareness about the DAPL controversy and other similar, but perhaps less publicized situations that impact the lives of indigenous communities.”
The email was sent to the entirety of the CC student body, staff, and faculty, demonstrating the school’s commitment to raising awareness of Native American issues.
The statement is an important step in the process of reexamining history and accurately celebrating those who made positive contributions to its course.
November is Native American Heritage Month, and NASU will be holding several events. They will be posted in the daily student digest as well as on flyers around campus. All community members are welcome and encouraged to participate.