Griffin: We can and should celebrate both Columbus and Indigenous Peoples Day
As a result of the May 22, 2022 letter from We Speak, an organization of Portsmouth High School students, the Portsmouth City Council will vote on Monday night whether to revisit the June 21, 2021 decision of the prior council to observe the second Monday in October as both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day and instead to permanently observe this day solely as Indigenous Peoples Day.
The council should not revisit the decision of the prior council on this matter for the following reasons.
1. When the request to rename the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples Day was before the prior Council, the city attorney stated that since Columbus Day is a state holiday as set forth in NH RSA 288:1, the council could not change the name of that holiday without enabling legislation, which did not exist. As far as I am aware, nothing has changed in that regard.
2. When each of the current city councilors took his/her oath in January, he or she swore to faithfully discharge all of the duties incumbent upon him or her in part agreeably to the laws of the state of New Hampshire. Any councilor voting to rename the holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day would be violating his/her oath of office.
3. The letter from We Speak essentially raises two points in support of its request.
a. The holiday overtly celebrates the colonial oppression that native people faced with Columbus' arrival in the late 1400s. While it is true Columbus had his faults and the world in which he lived was one where slavery and violence were all too common, as was also the case with Washington and Jefferson, his accomplishments for human civilization are also undeniable. He introduced the concept of reaching the east by going west, made known to Europe the existence of the North and South American continents and laid the groundwork for future explorers. It is those accomplishments as well as those of Italian Americans and others which are celebrated on Columbus Day. When Columbus Day was first recognized by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891, he did not do so to celebrate the oppression of native people, but rather to recognize the dignity and self worth of Italian immigrants, Italian Americans and Catholics in light of the hostility and discrimination many of them faced. In short, that day has taken on symbolism far bigger than Columbus himself.
b. Supporting a permanent and unambiguous citywide observance of Indigenous Peoples Day would be in alignment with the racial justice resolution passed by a prior City Council in the summer of 2020. While citing that portion of the resolution which addresses employing and regularly reviewing best practices to support racial justice, it overlooks that portion of the resolution which calls for "cooperating with other efforts to improve equity and inclusion and be welcoming of diversity throughout our community.” Eliminating Columbus Day would be an act of exclusion, not inclusion, and would also fail to recognize the diversity of opinion that exists in our community regarding this day. However, retaining Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day creates a win-win situation, does not violate state law, avoids pitting one group against the other and is consistent with the overall intent of the June 15, 2020 resolution.
Such an approach is also consistent with President Joe Biden’s issuance of two proclamations last year, one to salute "Christopher Columbus' historic voyage" and the other to “extol the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous Peoples" as well as former President Barack Obama’s statement that Christopher Columbus voyage “changed the trajectory of our world. "
In conclusion, as the saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The prior council got it right and the current council should not revisit the decision. It is possible to celebrate both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day in the manner of a proud and decent society, one that can recognize its faults while also asserting its virtues.
Charles A. Griffin, of Portsmouth, is a retired attorney who has served on the Portsmouth School Board and City Council.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Griffin: Portsmouth NH should celebrate Columbus, Indigenous Peoples
