Indigenous: 1. having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment; 2. INNATE, INBORN syn see NATIVE
Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (to)
Dictionary.comEvery day we are told by media, politicians, academia, social media, and the culture in general that the USA is a "nation of immigrants." People coming to America to establish new lives for their themselves, their families, and their posterity is our country's natural state of being.
By that definition, I'm a natural-born indigenous person. So were my parents. We were all born in the USA. According to the definition, we all originated, grew, and lived here. We occurred naturally; we're natives of the USA.
That being settled, I don't need a holiday such as "Indigenous Peoples Day" to celebrate myself. Much preferred is the longtime holiday to honor the man who discovered this amazing "new world," Christopher Columbus. His overseas journey, which took no small portion of guts to undertake, opened the American continent for the rest of the world.
Did bad stuff happen in the centuries since Columbus discovered America? Yes, indeed. Show me a time in history when bad stuff didn't happen. As one example, read what the Aztecs were up to before Christianity converted the people of Mexico. Hearts cut out of living bodies? Hmm. It seems those particular indigenous people celebrated some terrifying customs that are not missed.
Columbus Day is a treasured tradition in the United States. President Trump made an official proclamation for Columbus Day to be honored on October 12. Indigenous people such as I applaud the recognition and respect the president has conferred upon our national history.
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| Statue of Christopher Columbus - Newport, RI |
