Columbus Day Myth

“Myth of the essential white American”- that the essential American soul is a killer” (Ortiz, 2014, pg. 94). Chapter 5, The Birth of a Nation, concluded with this quote and I thought it was interesting. As I reflect on the opening vignette which quotes Martin Luther King Jr.; stating that “our nation was born in genocide” and we are probably the only nation that tries to wipe out an entire nation and even to today, we as a nation has not been allowed to feel ashamed of our history (Ortiz, 2014, pg.78). These are some powerful statements which critiques our nation’s history and people for all the genocides, oppression and domination that has taken place over centuries and one can argue this cycle of behaviors have trickled down into our society

The sole purpose of that protest was because of conflicts regarding the removal of certain confederate’s statues which many argued represented slavery and memorialized white supremacy. One can argue that we should not celebrate Columbus Day because of the injustices that has occurred to Native Americans because of his arrival on Indigenous land. Furthermore, one can also argue that we should not celebrate the founding fathers of the United States because under their administration, particularly George Washington; land was being conquered. In addition, it was Washington who “determined that only war not diplomacy would break up the Indigenous alliances” (Ortiz, 2014, pg. 81). Under Washington governance, Miami’s towns were destroyed, women and children held captive and other tribes such as the Iroquois and Seneca women and children lived in fear that this may happen to them as well. Shawnee leaders refused to submissions and US forces destroyed villages and fields while murdering women, children and old men all because the establishment and conquest of land. Yet with all this occurring, from the perspective of this book, President George Washington did not do anything that help the people of the land, so this raises questions as to whether Americans should also debate about the removal of his statues and impact on American