Native Americans: ‘We’re not against Italians, just Columbus, the terrorist’
Georgina Roy, director of Kateri Center, said, “Columbus has caused pain and shame to our people. “
By Chinta Strausberg
A day before the traditional Columbus Day parade, nearly 100 Native Americans wearing traditional regalia Sunday, Oct. 9th, held a rally at the Indian Boundary Park located in the West Ridge community where they delivered a clear message–abolish Columbus Day and replace it with “Indigenous Day.”
The annual Pre-Columbus Day rally was organized by the Kateri Center headed by Georgina Roy.
“Christopher Columbus is not someone who should be honored because Columbus was a terrorist,” said William Buchholtz, a Chippewa Native who is a Native adoptee. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Indian Native dressed in traditional regalia Sunday celebrated their annual Pre-Columbus Day rally at the Indian Boundary Park where years ago Indians could not cross that area. Back then, Native Indians were not allowed in Chicago.
But, Buchholtz wanted their message to be clear. “We are not protesting Italians. We are protesting Columbus because he murdered a lot of our people. He didn’t discover anything. We were already here,” he stated. “We are all part of Mother Earth, but we do not honor terrorists. Columbus murdered many, many of our people and claimed to have found a new land. It’s all a myth.”
When asked what would he want this nation to do on Columbus Day, he said, “They need to get rid of the holiday. They are honoring a terrorist. It should be replaced as the Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Agreeing was Roy, director of Kateri Center. “Columbus has caused pain and shame to our people. Celebrating his day continues to keep him alive as a hero, but he is not our hero. He has hurt a lot of people. We did survive and we’re here. We don’t celebrate Columbus Day. We celebrate pre-Columbus Day,” said Roy.
She said each year they hold their “Pre-Columbus Day” parade at the Indian Boundary Park because many years ago that was the boundary where they couldn’t cross. “It was as far as Indians could go. We were not allowed to come to Chicago,” said Roy, who is from First Nations tribe in Canada, Ontario. “We don’t have reservation land in Illinois unlike that in Wisconsin where our ancestors lived.”