2021-10-11 11:21:01

Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: Indigenous Peoples’ Day Shared with Columbus Day “Contradiction”

President Biden has formally recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a federal holiday, following a growing movement to debunk the myth of Christopher Columbus as a beneficent discoverer and replace it with recognition that the arrival of Columbus in the Bahamas unleashed a brutal genocide that massacred tens of millions of Native people across the hemisphere.

But the holiday will continue to be shared with Columbus Day, which many argue glorifies the nation’s dark history of colonial genocide that killed millions of Native people. “It’s just not appropriate to celebrate Columbus and Indigenous peoples on the same day. It’s a contradiction,” says author and historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. “Genocidal enslavement is what Columbus represents.”

Show Description 

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. 

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

Amy Goodman Bahamas Biden Admnistration Christopher Columbus Democracy Now! Free Speech TV Indigenous People's Day Joe Biden Native Americans

Human Rights and Equality

The People’s March on Washington - Watch on Demand Now!

The People’s March on Washington - Watch on Demand Now!

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Survivor and Activist Speak Out on $116M Settlement Over Abuse at FCI Dublin

Democracy Now! | Survivor and Activist Speak Out on $116M Settlement Over Abuse at FCI Dublin

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Supreme Court Reviews Trans Youth Care Ban A Landmark Case

Democracy Now! | Supreme Court Reviews Trans Youth Care Ban A Landmark Case

This Week In White Supremacy- Presented by 1HoodMedia

This Week In White Supremacy | Black and Brown Women: The Ignored Voices in Abortion Rights

This Week In White Supremacy | Black and Brown Women: The Ignored Voices in Abortion Rights

Related

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Rioters: Jackson Reffitt Speaks Out

Democracy Now! | Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Rioters: Jackson Reffitt Speaks Out

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | American Society Used to Benefit from the Wealthy

The Thom Hartmann Program | American Society Used to Benefit from the Wealthy

The Rick Smith Show

The Rick Smith Show | The Fallout of the Washington Post's (lack of) Endorsement

The Rick Smith Show | The Fallout of the Washington Post's (lack of) Endorsement

Proud Partners