This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Another Columbus Day celebration has come and gone. For many Americans, Columbus Day represents a three-day weekend and an opportunity to get a great deal on new cars, furniture and clothes. For me, Columbus Day is a day when I post a snarky Facebook status mocking the so-called "holiday." It puzzles me that we celebrate and dedicate a federal holiday to a man who never even stepped foot in the United States. Another piece of the Columbus story that leaves me dumbfounded is the fact that he is given credit for "discovering" America when people had been living here for thousands of years prior to his arrival, or lack thereof.
Earlier this year, Senate Bill 170 — a bill that proposed to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day throughout Utah — failed to pass on a 15-20 vote. Senators who did not support the bill argued that Columbus was an "American hero" and it would be a "slap in the face to take away this holiday from Italian Americans." However, isn't it a slap in the face to indigenous peoples to celebrate the man who began the genocide of their people?
When discussing discrimination and the unjust treatment of indigenous people, multiple people excuse the genocide of indigenous peoples of the Americas by stating that, "It was a different time and people didn't know better back then." However, if this reasoning was used to excuse the genocide, we know better now, so why does this carnage continue today?
For example, Rep. Rob Bishop is attempting to pass H.R. 5780 — the Utah Public Lands Initiative. If this initiative passes, the state of Utah will acquire more than 100,000 acres of Northern Ute reservation land that is home to more than half of my tribe's population. Once again, the government is piercing yet another knife into the livelihood of indigenous people while breaching treaties that have been in place since the late 1800s. Indigenous people face a continuous uphill battle to maintain their sovereignty and preserve their culture and rights, and HR 5780 is not supporting their jurisdiction.
Considering the historical hardships, injustices and betrayal that many indigenous people have had to and continue to face, it's no wonder native students struggle academically — not only compared to their white counterparts, but also other minority groups. In 2015, U.S. News reported that 67 percent of indigenous students graduated from high school, compared to the national average of 80 percent.
I argue that a large part of the lack of graduation successes is due to the absence of material culturally relevant to indigenous communities. Thinking back on my K-12 education experience, colonialism was the most common conversation of American history, and indigenous people were briefly discussed. Why are students not learning about the customs, traditions, and societies already in place prior to colonialism? Why are we not spending class time discussing influential people within indigenous communities, past and present?
It is vital for indigenous students to see the history and culture of their people represented in classrooms. No, not just the sugarcoated history that skims over the uncomfortable parts of American history. All of it. In order for society to progress and not repeat past injustices, it is crucial to learn from history — and not just white history.
The erasure of indigenous history is not only harmful to Indigenous students, but all students. Not only will Native students benefit from their history being represented, it is just as important for all students to become aware of both sides.
As we transition into November, which is National Native American Heritage Month, I invite you to take initiative and learn something new about indigenous people. This can be anything from keeping up with current events within Native communities to studying the wisdom of Chief Sitting Bull. Trust me, there is a plethora of Indigenous history that is waiting to be discovered.
Stephanie Quinn is a master's student in the department of Education, Culture and Society at the University of Utah. She lives in Clinton.