Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 9 october 2017

Indigenous Peoples Day? Italians say stick with Columbus

By DEEPTI HAJELA lumbus,” he said. “If they’re
DAKE KANG going to celebrate Colum-
Associated Press bus, we need to celebrate
NEW YORK (AP) — Is it time the fact that we survived
to say arrivederci to Chris- Columbus.”The debate
topher Columbus? over Columbus’ histori-
A movement to abolish cal legacy is an old one,
Columbus Day and re- but it became emotion-
place it with Indigenous ally charged after a similar
Peoples Day has gained debate in the South over
momentum in some parts monuments to Confeder-
of the U.S., with Los Ange- ate generals flared into
les in August becoming the deadly violence in August
biggest city yet to decide at a rally in Charlottesville,
to stop honoring the Italian Virginia.In Akron, Ohio,
explorer and instead rec- a September vote over
ognize victims of colonial- whether to dump Colum-
ism. bus opened a racial rift on
Austin, Texas, followed suit the city council that was so
Thursday. It joined cities heated conflict mediators
including San Francisco, were brought in to sooth
Seattle and Denver, which tensions.
had previously booted Co- In this Oct. 10, 2016 photo, boys wave Italian flags while riding a float in the Columbus Day Parade In New York, where 35,000
lumbus in favor of Indig- in New York. people are expected to
enous Peoples Day. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) march in Monday’s Co-
But the gesture to recog- eliminating their festival of America. “Columbus Italian-Americans, said Cliff lumbus Day parade, van-
nize indigenous people of ethnic pride is culturally Day is a day that we’ve Matias, cultural director of dals last month doused
rather than the man who insensitive, too.“We had chosen to celebrate who the Redhawk Native Amer- the hands of a Christopher
opened the Americas to a very difficult time in this we are. And we’re entitled ican Arts Council, which is Columbus statue in blood-
European domination also country for well over a hun- to do that just as they are hosting a Re-Thinking Co- red paint and scrawled the
has prompted howls of dred years,” said Basil Rus- entitled to celebrate who lumbus Day event Sunday words “hate will not be tol-
outrage from some Ital- so, president of the Order they are.”It’s not about and Monday in New York. erated.”
ian-Americans, who say Italian Sons and Daughters taking anything away from “The conversation is Co- Continued on Page 27