Chicago Public Schools Agrees to Share Columbus Name with Native Americans
By Jim Vail
The fight to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day in the Chicago Public Schools has been a long and tough battle.
But it has brought results: CPS agreed to do a name share - the second Monday in October the public schools in Chicago will now celebrate Indigenous People's Day/ Columbus Day.
It's not what my students fought for, nor what the Chicago Teachers Union wanted after it passed a resolution to change the name, but it's a start.
They say CPS Chief Janice Jackson was open to changing the name after hearing several students speak out at the monthly board of education meetings the past few years and the fact that she was a high school social studies teacher who knows the harshness of colonial rule that Columbus brought to America.
An online petition stated:
We must change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day to honor the true ancestors and descendants of this land. Columbus came looking for gold and enslaved, raped, kidnapped and killed Indigenous people. Chicago students should not celebrate or honor him. Please sign our petition to tell the Chicago Public Schools we want our holiday in October to honor Indigenous People's Day. And please share for others to sign so we can present this at the next Chicago Board of Education meeting August 22nd. Thank You!
You can still sign the petition at:
https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/indigenous-people-s-day-must-replace-columbus-day-in-cps
Already Evanston and Oak Park do not celebrate Columbus Day. Many states out west where Native Americans live do not celebrate this monster.
But the fight is difficult here in Chicago because it is very political. The Columbus name is enshrined in the Chicago flag - one of the four stars honors the Columbian Exposition in 1894. The Columbus Day parade is big here.
My students first learned about the true history of Columbus from the Internet, and how our social studies book white washed his crimes against the Native population.
They then learned how to fight for what's right. They gathered petitions from their fellow students, presented them to the local school council, made presentations to parents and spoke to the Chicago Board of Education. The board members were so impressed they applauded them, even though that's usually against protocol.
But still, former Board President Frank Clark said he couldn't do anything, his hands were tied. It turned out that wasn't exactly true.
Enter education community activist Sarah Dennis, who has also spoken out against celebrating Columbus Day. She spoke to the Illinois State Board of Education who said it actually was possible for CPS to change the name of this school holiday, just like Evanston and Oak Park school districts did.
She worked hard with the politicians and education officials to get them to finally change the name - a compromise.
The Chicago City Council already changed the Columbus Day celebration to both Indigenous People's Day/Columbus Day.
There are 65,000 Native Americans living in Chicago today. The declaration that the City Council passed Sept 14, 2016 includes acknowledgement of Native people's contributions to the country and Chicago. See sarahdennis.com/ipd_campaign
The First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance was held in July 1990 where representatives of indigenous groups throughout the Americas gathered in Quito, Ecuador and agreed that they would mark 1992, the 500th anniversary of the first of the voyages of Christopher Columbus, as a year to promote "continental unity" and "liberation". This is especially important in the City if Chicago where there is a wide diversity of Indigenous Peoples and their descendants from across the Americas and Caribbean.
Dennis will also work with CPS to develop an indigenous people's history curriculum so people can be educated about our native people's who were exterminated in the colonial drive to expand this country for the white man.
By Jim Vail
 |
| Students Omar Chavez & Valerie Magallon started the fight to stop celebrating Columbus Day. |
The fight to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day in the Chicago Public Schools has been a long and tough battle.
But it has brought results: CPS agreed to do a name share - the second Monday in October the public schools in Chicago will now celebrate Indigenous People's Day/ Columbus Day.
It's not what my students fought for, nor what the Chicago Teachers Union wanted after it passed a resolution to change the name, but it's a start.
They say CPS Chief Janice Jackson was open to changing the name after hearing several students speak out at the monthly board of education meetings the past few years and the fact that she was a high school social studies teacher who knows the harshness of colonial rule that Columbus brought to America.
An online petition stated:
We must change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day to honor the true ancestors and descendants of this land. Columbus came looking for gold and enslaved, raped, kidnapped and killed Indigenous people. Chicago students should not celebrate or honor him. Please sign our petition to tell the Chicago Public Schools we want our holiday in October to honor Indigenous People's Day. And please share for others to sign so we can present this at the next Chicago Board of Education meeting August 22nd. Thank You!
You can still sign the petition at:
https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/indigenous-people-s-day-must-replace-columbus-day-in-cps
Already Evanston and Oak Park do not celebrate Columbus Day. Many states out west where Native Americans live do not celebrate this monster.
But the fight is difficult here in Chicago because it is very political. The Columbus name is enshrined in the Chicago flag - one of the four stars honors the Columbian Exposition in 1894. The Columbus Day parade is big here.
My students first learned about the true history of Columbus from the Internet, and how our social studies book white washed his crimes against the Native population.
They then learned how to fight for what's right. They gathered petitions from their fellow students, presented them to the local school council, made presentations to parents and spoke to the Chicago Board of Education. The board members were so impressed they applauded them, even though that's usually against protocol.
But still, former Board President Frank Clark said he couldn't do anything, his hands were tied. It turned out that wasn't exactly true.
Enter education community activist Sarah Dennis, who has also spoken out against celebrating Columbus Day. She spoke to the Illinois State Board of Education who said it actually was possible for CPS to change the name of this school holiday, just like Evanston and Oak Park school districts did.
She worked hard with the politicians and education officials to get them to finally change the name - a compromise.
The Chicago City Council already changed the Columbus Day celebration to both Indigenous People's Day/Columbus Day.
There are 65,000 Native Americans living in Chicago today. The declaration that the City Council passed Sept 14, 2016 includes acknowledgement of Native people's contributions to the country and Chicago. See sarahdennis.com/ipd_campaign
The First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance was held in July 1990 where representatives of indigenous groups throughout the Americas gathered in Quito, Ecuador and agreed that they would mark 1992, the 500th anniversary of the first of the voyages of Christopher Columbus, as a year to promote "continental unity" and "liberation". This is especially important in the City if Chicago where there is a wide diversity of Indigenous Peoples and their descendants from across the Americas and Caribbean.
Indigenous Peoples' Day begun to develop in 1989 in South Dakota, where Lynn Hart and Governor Mickelson passed a resolution to celebrate Native American day on the second Monday of October. To be more inclusive of all Indigenous Peoples, Cultures and Populations that were impacted the atrocities of Columbus and the larger issue of colonization, the name was changed to Indigenous People's Day (vs. Native American day).
Dennis will also work with CPS to develop an indigenous people's history curriculum so people can be educated about our native people's who were exterminated in the colonial drive to expand this country for the white man.
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