© 2008 Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc.
An unprecedented event happened in South Dakota 18 years ago, an event that has not been equaled by any other state: South Dakota adopted October 12 as a state holiday to be called Native American Day.
By selecting October 12, South Dakota eliminated, for all intent and purpose, Columbus Day as a holiday. But the ensuing 18 years have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that old habits are hard to break.
... the rest after the click.
My comment: Not everyone sees Christopher Columbus as a hero. Some folks hold him responsible for the literally millions of deaths rained down on Native Americans by European invaders. Perhaps that might be a little much. His "discovery" of the New World was inevitable. If he hadn't stumbled upon Hispaniola when he did, someone else would have tripped over the North and South American continents eventually. However, he typified European attitudes toward people who were "other" and, as the first governor in the Americas he instituted a reign of terror and torture that shocked even the King of Spain. Columbus' tactics as governor made him 'persona non grata' in the Caribbean in 1500 ... by order of the King of Spain.
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