Many school districts don't observe Columbus Day on Monday -- now seen as a 'bad guy'

[steven johnson]

Christopher Columbus, once considered the discoverer of the New World, is not considered to be a hero in many classrooms. A more balanced history teachs that Columbus didn't discover an unknown continent -- it was already populated. He destroyed the cultures that already existed there. Columbus began exporting slaves in great numbers in 1494. The Indians that were not exported were put into slavery on Hispaniola. Columbus also terrorized, tortured, and killed them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus

Christopher Columbus' stature in U.S. classrooms has declined somewhat through the years, and many districts will not observe his namesake holiday on Monday. Although lessons vary, many teachers are trying to present a more balanced perspective of what happened after Columbus reached the Caribbean and the suffering of indigenous populations.

"The whole terminology has changed," said James Kracht, executive associate dean for academic affairs in the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development. "You don't hear people using the world 'discovery' anymore like they used to. 'Columbus discovers America.' Because how could he discover America if there were already people living here?"

The federal holiday itself also is not universally recognized. Schools in Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle will be open; New York City, Washington and Chicago schools will be closed.

The day is an especially sensitive issue in places with larger native American populations.



Columbus' darker side emerges in classrooms

[NYC_SKP]

1. It's still a "teachable moment"...

...and I'm fine with the shift away from celebrating this as a holiday.

:patriot:

[Warpy]

2. Yes, Columbus wasn't the first European here

but he was the first imperialist to scout the place for colonization and exploitation.

They still throw him a parade in Boston every year.

[KittyWampus]

13. And yet many laud the imperialists ready to colonize and exploit Space.

I am sure some would defend the modern day imperialists as PURELY "scientists engaging in necessary and important exploration".

Columbus, on the other hand...

LOL!

Human populations and cultures have been moving and shifting on the face of the Earth forever.

For the record, I really appreciate HappyHippyChick's response to her children in the post below.

[rcrush]

3. Good n/t

[whyverne]

4. I think that the saga of Columbus teaches an important lesson.

That you can be totally wrong and totally lost and still come out smelling like a rose. The power of persistence.

[UndertheOcean]

5. Good

[Happyhippychick]

6. I taught my daughter about his bravery in doing the actual expedition but I mention that the country

belonged to NA's and they were treated horribly.

[izquierdista]

7. How could he 'discover' America?

Just like you can discover a crowded bar, but you didn't know it existed.

[donco6]

8. We're open - North Denver

We trade it for a day near Tgiving.

[Bobbieo]

9. Can we trade Columbus Day for Native American Day? Some states have

already done it.

[donco6]

14. Our Italians would blow a gasket.

We may not observe it, but they have fought with the Native American community for YEARS over it.

[liberalhistorian]

10. It's called Native American Day here in South Dakota,

and most schools, offices and agencies are closed in honor of it. The name was officially changed in the early 90's, after a lobbying and education campaign by the state's native american leaders. There are now many educational and memorial programs on the day honoring native americans, including at the Crazy Horse Monument and Memorial. SD is the only state where the name is officially Native American Day, which is more than appropriate here.

[Bobbieo]

12. The Native American leaders who changed the South Dakota holiday are Lynn Hart, Yankton Sioux

and Tim Giago, Oglala Lakota.

[Canuckistanian]

11. I like this Pat Paulsen quote

All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian.