Happy Leif Erickson Day

A couple days ago, a lab mate and I chatted about the recent decision of the Seattle City Council to change Christopher Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. It was a congenial conversation between a Michigan born, Italian descended man and an Arizona raised, Navajo woman. Ha.* 

The details of the conversation escape me. There was something about "Columbus not even discovering America, but landing on the islands south of the huge land mass", "Cortez being the worst crook",  "Why all the vitriol against Colombus?", and if there should be someone to really blame, "why not Leif Erikson?" Of course this soon was replaced with the statement, "We should celebrate Leif Erikson day!" I Googled it and guess what? The day has already been declared! Today, October 9, 2014, is officially Leif Erickson day!

All jokes aside, the fun chat with my colleague stirred thoughts that have been haunting my psyche for quite sometime. These thoughts have to do with being a Native American in this century. Unlike many Natives, I do not harbor much angst against Columbus. I appreciate his profession as an explorer**, just as I do Leif Erikson, Lewis and Clark, and the first wave of people that crossed the Bering Strait. History was changed as we now know it. There are many reasons to love life as it is today because of the wealth of knowledge! My feelings on this subject has been construed as weak... even simpleminded. Do not mistake my optimistic outlook as naive. I simply cannot change the past, I do not have the power of a Time Lord. I do however, have control as to how I react to historical and continuing injustices. I can choose to be hardworking. I can choose to educate myself. I can choose to treat others with respect. Basically, I have the power of the present to do good now. 


*This is funny because there are some Italian Americans who have voiced their offense of the change because they are losing out on their cultural celebration. In my mind, just do away with the commemoration of Columbus. Find another way to honor those who are indigenous to this land. One day to honor them is not enough. 

**Explorers are like scientists... or scientists are explorers. Of course I am fascinated with them!

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