Examining Rights for Indigenous People

On Oct. 8, President Biden created a proclamation that addressed what used to be Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This is a huge leap forward for the country as it recognizes our past mistakes and an effort to keep improving American culture for minorities. This day is now a remembrance and celebration of Indigenous peoples’ who were sovereign before the settlers took over their land. It is important that we understand that Indigenous people continue to be exploited and subjugated and that Christopher Columbus was not a hero, but a man who saw difference and equated it to inferiority.   

The White House states, “Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people—a promise that, despite the extraordinary progress we have made throughout the years, we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began.” It has taken far too long to recognize the inequality that Indigenous people face to this day. It is a problem that seems to be widely forgotten and pushed aside. The absence of Indigenous peoples when attributing to the building blocks of the United States is an absence to the story of how the nation was able to form. Without the help of the Indigenous people, the colonists would not have been able to live on the foreign land. We must also recognize how unique Indigenous culture is. We must understand that it is just as valid as any other culture that differs from contemporary western culture, and that it isn’t diminished or just something of the past. It is still present, but people don’t look for it.   

Before settlers intruded on their land, the Indigenous peoples who inhabited it lived in a way that is extremely admirable. They connected with the land in a way that Europeans were never able to do. They irrigated their land and hunted, gathered, and fished by adapting to their environment. They also discovered many natural herbs that they figured out could be used as medicine. All of this was taught to the settlers, which then improved their prospect of starting a life on the land. Rubber is a material that was developed by Indigenous peoples, according to HISTORY. Where would we be today without rubber? They also invented kayaks, hammocks, cable suspension bridges, and lacrosse. All of these inventions are used internationally today, so it is important to recognize the people who gave us these great concepts.   

There is no justification for the abuse that Indigenous peoples faced. We have to stop thinking about it from a historical mindset, but a progressive one. If you think it is too late to address the inequalities that Indigenous peoples have faced, then you are wrong. We cannot erase history or go back and fix the treatment of the people, but we can change the way we are taught about the people who are such an important part of our history. Schools have to start teaching the truth about the relations between the Indigenous peoples and the colonists, rather than painting the main aggressors in a positive light. However, just telling the truth is not enough. These people deserve to hold a bigger part in American history curriculums, as they were literally the first inhabitants of the land which is now the United States. If we move away from the explicit white perspective, students will become much more open-minded and insightful. It is important to note that we learn from other cultures and other groups of people and if we keep one group in the spotlight we can only come so far. I encourage you all to read and do research on Indigenous culture every Indigenous Peoples’ Day (I myself will also do this), but not just exclusively on that day. So please, start referring to this day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It is okay to reevaluate history if it is in an effort to promote positive change and spread awareness to good causes such as this.