Monday Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving while in the US it was Columbus Day. As the name suggests, this is the day Americans have traditionally celebrated the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus and the crews of three ships commissioned for the voyage. Of course First Nations people, the Vikings, and the Irish would all beg to differ. When Columbus arrived, searching for India, he discovered lands inhabited by developed cultures which had been established on the continent for thousands of years. With typical European hubris these cultures were dismissed as heathen and savage, and often decimated or exterminated. The church was often complicit in the twisted rational which allowed the inhabitants to be slaughtered because they weren't Christian.
It is an ugly history to be sure and celebrating Columbus as a hero doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Some cities have decided not to call the day after Columbus, instead renaming it as Indigenous People's Day. A piece on the NPR websites reports on what has happened in Seattle:
"This is about taking a stand against racism and discrimination," Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant told the Seattle Times. "Learning about the history of Columbus and transforming this day into a celebration of indigenous people and a celebration of social justice ... allows us to make a connection between this painful history and the ongoing marginalization, discrimination and poverty that indigenous communities face to this day."
Slowly but surely we are waking up to the pervasive and persistent wrongs of subjugation. We have learned to say we're sorry, although sincerity is sometimes in question. We are realizing that many of the long-standing nicknames and mascots for sports teams are offensive, although owners and fans are slow to relinquish them. Think of the Washington Redskins and the "tomahawk chop" for the Atlanta Braves.
When the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival was recognized in 1992 in began with a bang and ended with a whimper. I wonder if it would have happened at all with today's awareness?
Let's pray --literally-- for a continuing change of perception everywhere, including in the church.
Thoughts?
I agree - the change is very much needed...
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ReplyDeleteWe were in Chicago on Columbus Day Monday, going about on a small tour bus. It shares the weekend with the Sunday Chicago Marathon and there are thousands of people in town and traffic is re-routed for the parade. It was something of a nightmare for vehicles. Our driver says "Bah -- Columbus: he came for the gold, spread infectious diseases and now he's just tying up traffic!"
Kathy
Out of the mouths of cab drivers. They often have insightful observations. Thanks to both of you.
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