[Peace-discuss] Columbus Day / First Americans Day

[George Hardebeck]

Dear Friends,

I would like to know if there is interest here in taking on similar work to
what we have begun, so far in Cincinnati, where we lived before moving here
in May of last year.

In 2011 and 2012, for our Vigil for Native Life, our Mayor of Cincinnati,
Mark Mallory, proclaimed Columbus Day as also First Americans Day, an
honorary title. In 2010 he proclaimed for us Native American Heritage
Month, to honor this lightly known national observance, also as a city,
among related proclamations.

First Americans Day... could be honored leading up to Native American
Heritage Month, November, as Martin Luther Kings Day leads into African
American Heritage Month.

Some of our local peoples of indigenous decent, In Cincinnati, among
others associated, felt we should not try to bring Columbus Day to an end,
as this might sweep this figure under the carpet, when we need to address
the genocide and ecocide that began with his 'discovery' of the Americas.

Some states dropped the holiday or never took it up. Much of this is
listed in the links provided. We felt, for a potentially national holiday
in the future the term First Americans honored our First Peoples best and
left room for native species of the Americas to be honored. 'First'
connotes a sense of respect that Native and Indigenous have not engendered,
so well so far.

In Wikipedia, linked, see 'Opposition' down, also for South American
positions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day
http://www.indians.org/welker/byecolum.htm
http://www.transformcolumbusday.org/faithful.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/02/obama_and_first_americans.html
http://blog.reconciliationecology.org/2010/10/apology-for-columbus-day.html*
http://open.salon.com/blog/avimecca/2011/10/04/an_italianamerican_against_columbus_day
*


Are there those here interested in such work? I know there has been much
work undertaken around mascots. What can we do beginning this year, as a
region... to open a conversation, perhaps, for what we may take on
throughout the next year for greater healing, reconciliation, amends, etc.?

Upholding symbols like Columbus sets a precedent for such injustice to be
related as standard to our formational identity, as a people of place,
allowing us to more easily carry such ways elsewhere. There are, I
understand, Italian Americans seeking another Italian American Day, after
First Peoples have discussed this with them.

Having grown for part of my childhood among family in southwestern Ireland,
I have seen how cultures can revive the identity of their homelands, their
native language and arts, and rooted ways of being toward their place and
life, and the benefits of more intentional culture.

In Cincinnati we opened Native American Heritage Month, for a few years so
far, with our Harvest for Reconciliation, on the first weekend of November,
following that Friday being World Community Day. This, more informally
and in gratitude, began our Healing Our Heartlands more focused
conversations for reconciliation with our First Peoples, Culture and Life
(ecologically...), all Native, which we ran through aspects of our culture:
Interfaith & Interethnic work; Health & Education; Gardening &
Conservation; and Arts & Media (to take on well being through identity...
place to planet, as ecology works). Commercial & Public Service could
follow. These conversations were also woven into arts events, for
eco-cultural restoration, all focused from harvest into Spring as a season
of reconciliation to bring us back into further restoration during
the outdoor season.

I can share copies of our proclamations with those interested, or other
materials used for our Vigil for Native Life, etc. I need to support our
related events in Cincinnati, it seems, next weekend around this date.

Deep Peace & Ghra Mhor,

George Hardebeck

ARCHE - Arts Restoring Culture for Healing Earth
join our Facebook group
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