Module 2 Columbus Day protest widens

Denver, October 10, 2011.  Although icy rains kept spectators at bay, a few braved the cold, damp Colorado weather to participate in the annual Columbus Day parade.  Among the participants were a group of individuals protesting the idea of paying homage to a man whom they feel is responsible for present-day greed and injustice, Christopher Columbus.  Although fighting for the discontinuation of Columbus Day celebrations, the protestors had a few, more pressing demands, which reflect contemporary issues.

They wanted the Occupy Wall Street protestors, and the Occupy Denver Protestors to remember the plight of the Native Americans and their lands and cultures.  Specifically, they called for “repudiating ‘Doctrine of Christian Discovery,’”  and allowing Indigenous peoples to give their “free” and “informed consent” to land development before such lands are captured and developed.  The protestors refer specifically to the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.  In the midst of the dominant culture protesting the ills that are meted out to them in the various Occupy protests, one Indigenous protestor at the Columbus Day parade notes, “Without addressing justice for Indigenous Peoples, there can never be a genuine movement for justice and equality in the United States.”

References

Berry, C. (2011, October 10).  “Columbus Day protests widens.”  Indian Country.  Retrieved from  http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/columbus-day-protest-widens/