"In fourteen-hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." This little saying is something that I'm sure we all learned as children, to help us remember the year that Columbus discovered America. However, Columbus did not discover America, it has been here as long as Spain, England, and the rest of the countries in the world at that time. Although not as nearly technologically advanced as the countries of Europe, the Native American nations functioned as well, if not better, as these advanced nations of Europe. However, because the Native Americans were viewed as inferior savages when Columbus set foot on America, he saw it fit to take their land and life. Columbus was the beginning of a long history of racism and oppression against all Native Americans living in the Americas. Through this course of time, there have been many different areas in which racism has shown itself: through now forgotten wars, environmental racism, and the forcing of beliefs upon these nations.

Most people have heard the saying "history repeats itself." There is another saying that is not as well known, written by the author of Wa*censored*a: Genocide on the Great Plains, James Ho

To most Americans, Columbus Day is a day of celebration because it is the beginning of our history. Before Columbus, there was nothing, after Columbus, more Europeans came over the Atlantic and eventually this great nation was formed. However, to a Native American, Columbus Day is the beginning of the end of their way of life. From day one, the Indians were oppressed and exterminated. Native Americans owned the land of North America before Columbus; now the Native Americans do not own land, but are placed on government reservations. Glenn Morris and Russell Means believe that no one should celebrate Columbus Day, and that it should not be a holiday. "We are advocating that the divisive Columbus Day holiday should be replaced by a celebration that is much more inclusive and more accurately reflective of the cultural and racial richness of the Americas" (Morris and Means 14). The authors are trying to say that no one should celebrate this day, because it is celebrating the hundreds of years of oppression and genocide that Native Americans suffered. It is understandable that Native Americans do not wish to celebrate Columbus Day, but it is not understandable that no one should celebrate this day. I am proud to be an American and am thankful for Columbus. I am not saying that the extermination of Natives was morally right, but I would not be here today if it had not happened. Americans should be proud of who they are and be happy that there is such a thing as Columbus Day.

Horsley is trying to show that the United States Army killed Native Americans because they might be guilty; guilty of being different. Major Baker was urged to attack and punish these Indians. It was almost as though it didn't matter what the Army was fighting to gain, as long as there were Indians to kill. This is a perfect example of the racism and hatred that Americans have put on Native Americans throughout the history of the U.S.

Gibson, Stan. An Uncelebrated Anniversary. 1996.

To your average American, the Fourth of July is a time of celebration; a time when we celebrate the Independence of this Country. To a Native American, there is not much reason to celebrate this holiday. Even though as American citizens they share the same rights as any American, the Fourth is when the U.S. became free from England, not when Native Americans were free from the U.S. The Native Americans continued to be exterminated until the U.S. had taken all that they could. On July 4, 1776, there were still hundreds and thousands of Native Americans living across North America, some still unaware of the happenings on the East Coast. Why should the Native Americans celebrate this day? They still have not gotten their Independence Day. They have been confined to living on Reservations. There is only one reason that they should celebrate this day: because of what happened in 1776, they still have the "Four freedoms." They may not have those freedoms if England still ruled. So, in essence, Native Americans still have some reason to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Who celebrates holidays? There are many holidays than some Americans celebrate, while other Americans do not. It all depends on race and religion to figure out who celebrates what. The United States of America has declared over half a dozen holidays that the working class can take off with pa

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Approximate Word count = 2263
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)