..."Some states have long just "observed" the holiday, but leave local government offices open. Others use the date to revere the native population who existed long before the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria sailed in. According to a Wikipedia round-up, South Dakota declares October 12 as Indigenous People's Day. Hawaii celebrates the more general Discoverers' Day, which actually refers to the Aloha State's Polynesian founders (although the bureaucrats firmly emphasize "this day is not and shall not be construed to be a state holiday")...."
I've been watching the news televised from Honolulu and the anchors are still calling today Columbus Day. There are also Columbus Day sales all over the place. Although the article says 22 states don't celebrate the holiday, I wonder if it's really true. It's becoming more public knowledge about the horrible things that Columbus did but I guess it's hard to change the myth.
Somebody asked me if it was really so terrible for children in America to believe in these myths.
Is it?
I'd prefer my children to learn the truth, or as close as we can make it ('truth' being a thing that seems to change from generation to generation, with new discoveries etc.)
ReplyDeleteBut I think it's hard to take any holiday away from working people without some outcry, and harder still to take a Sale opportunity from the retail industry---who seem to run our countries, especially in the weeks/months before the Christmas holidays.
How wonderful to be celebrating the Polynesian settling of Hawai'i : I love that story, and can't imagine such an adventure across the Pacific.
well, I think we can start too young feeding our children all the negatives of history and kill their interest in it. Some facts could be reserved for until they are older. I wasn't ready in 5th grade to know about all the evils of early explorers or the atrocities of the civil war. That's my opinion as a retired teacher and mother of 4.
ReplyDeleteSusan: I'm all for the truth also.
ReplyDeleteLin: I don't think telling 1st graders how Chistopher Columbus cut off Native American hands, noses or feet if they didn't produce gold is appropriate just as we don't teach them the Holocaust yet but I don't think we should tell them lies either.
Something more general explaining that many people from Europe and Asia came to America looking for gold, a better life, or exploration arrived and found Native Americans living there could be more true.
Telling the truth is our responsibility and to know the truth is kid's right .....that is my belief ,we must not try to present the history otherwise,our kids deserve the real truth.
ReplyDeleteKay, sorry, but that book about Columbus that your son gave you will never be read by me -- for the same reason I hate to watch crime stories on TV. Too much negativism everywhere you look. Give me a break. I want to be happy.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I want to read about the Civil War and how we freed the slaves -- and later the civil rights movement ended segregation. THAT I can tolerate because it had a happy ending.
Oh, well, to each his own!
My 5th graders were much more interested in history the year we got our new textbooks which contained the facts as they are currently known. Many of them felt betrayed by their past teachers who hadn't taught them the truth.
ReplyDeleteI don't think kids need ALL the gory details, but they certainly shouldn't be fed the "great hero" version. History was made by real men with real flaws, not perfect idols.
Oh, I like what "quilly" said. The truth, cleaned up a bit for youngsters, is actually more interesting than the mythology that has be taught in the past.
ReplyDeleteWashington State does not "celebrate" Columbus Day. School is in session and it's just a regular day except that there is no mail service.
I put your question to Nestor, my favorite holiday blogger.
ReplyDeletePlease see his comment and post at http://edaholiday.com/columbus-day/comment-page-1/#comment-913
Thank you, that was extremely valuable and interesting...I will be back again to read more on this topic.
ReplyDelete