Our Opinion/ Columbus’ arrival in 1492 resulted in the genocide of Indigenous Peoples

The Fargo Native American Commission is asking that Fargo change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.

The resolution voted upon unanimously by the Native American Commission Monday night goes before the Fargo City Commission Monday, Oct. 12 -- Columbus Day. We strongly encourage the adoption of this resolution.

And, for the sake of disclosure, this writer is one of nine on the Native American Commission and helped author the resolution.

The remainder of HPR’s editorial this week shares that resolution asking that Fargo annually recognize the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day. Please study and discuss it.

A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND FARGO CITY COMMISSION

WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations-sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas; and

WHEREAS, the City of Fargo established the Native American Commission to strengthen the Native American community by promoting understanding, recognition, and respect for cultures and to enrich the community as a whole and support empathy, integrity, humility, good stewardship of resources, fostering fellowship, and familial cohesion; and

WHEREAS, the Fargo Native American Commission unanimously supports abolishing Columbus Day and replacing said day with Indigenous Peoples Day with the intention of bringing awareness and understanding to the City of Fargo’s community; and

WHEREAS, Columbus Day is celebrated in Fargo and throughout the United States, despite perpetuating a false history that fails to reflect the violence and tragic mistreatment of Indigenous People; and

WHEREAS, Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Caribbean islands in 1492 resulted in the genocide of millions of Indigenous Peoples by heinous acts of murder, along with countless abductions, human enslavement, starvation, torture, maiming, mass rape, sex trafficking of Indigenous women and young girls; and

WHEREAS, Dominican Catholic priest Bartolomé de la Casas witnessed the brutality and slaughter of Indigenous Peoples by Christopher Columbus and his men and documented them in the book “The Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies”; and

WHEREAS, the Doctrine of Discovery enabled Columbus to perpetrate egregious acts against Indigenous Peoples and established precedent for the advancement of Manifest Destiny by successive European nations and American explorers and governments; and

WHEREAS, in 1990 representatives from 120 Indigenous nations at the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance unanimously passed a resolution to transform Columbus Day into an occasion to strengthen the process of continental unity and struggle for liberation, and thereby use the occasion to reveal a more accurate historical record; and

WHEREAS, despite this brutal history by Columbus, the United States has recognized the second Monday of October -- Columbus Day -- as a federal holiday since 1937;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Fargo City Commission that the City of Fargo shall no longer recognize Columbus Day and shall, henceforth, proclaim the second Monday of October to be Indigenous Peoples Day;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Fargo shall continue its efforts to promote the well-being of the Fargo Native American and Indigenous community;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Fargo encourages Fargo Public Schools, other educational institutions, businesses, organizations, and public entities to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage our community to explore and acknowledge Christopher Columbus’ violent and tragic mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples;

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that Fargo’s Indigenous Peoples Day shall serve as an occasion to reflect upon the ongoing struggles and positive contributions of Indigenous Peoples of this land, and to celebrate the culture and value that Dakota, Anishinaabe, Nakota, Lakota, and all Indigenous Peoples add to our community so as to enhance understanding and promote harmony.