

Bonus Episode: Celebrate Indigenous People's Day, Not Columbus
8 snips Oct 14, 2019
The podcast dives into the myths surrounding Columbus and advocates for celebrating Indigenous Peoples instead. It highlights how the romanticized narrative of 1492 erases the rich histories and suffering of Indigenous communities. The hosts discuss resistance to changing Columbus Day and the role of institutional inertia. They emphasize the importance of acknowledging historical violence and reframing the narrative to uplift contemporary Native stories. Listeners are encouraged to support movements that replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.
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Columbus Story Fuels Indigenous Erasure
- The Columbus myth erases the complex, preexisting indigenous civilizations and rewrites US origins as discovery.
- Matika Wilbur argues this foundational story fuels ongoing indigenous erasure and racism.
Columbus As A Misplaced Symbol
- Columbus became a symbol of pride for Italian-Americans, but he poorly represents that heritage.
- Adrienne Keene notes Italian Americans already have October as Italian American Heritage Month.
Pioneer Plaques Perpetuate Colonial Myths
- The pioneer/discovery narrative appears in town plaques and civic memory across the US.
- Matika Wilbur links that narrative to settler colonialism and ongoing damage to Native communities.