National Heritage Day: Racism Continues

Yesterday, Friday, 28 November was National Heritage Day, the day on which the US recognizes and celebrates the achievements and contributions of America’s native population. Did you know about it? Did you hear about it? I hadn’t until about 10 AM after the Associated Press ran a very brief article about the day. The holiday was only recognized by Congress and the President a month ago, after years of efforts for America’s peoples to have a day of their own. Unless additional measures are passed, this will be the only year for the observance, however paltry, of National Heritage Day.

 

This year’s observation of National Heritage Day the day after Thanksgiving shows the continuing institutionalized racism present in the US. Despite the election of our nation’s first black President, we still have much ground to cover before we come to recognize that, upon this, our creator’s, Earth, given to us, there is only one race, and that is the race of man. We must stop thinking of race relations in terms of colors and shades and realize that there are cultures and peoples who have come and gone before and who live on in the most unlikely of individuals. We must not marginalize others because of the dilution of blood through intermarriage; the spirits of the ancestors live on in their progeny, even if that progeny, in this particular case, looks just like his Irish and German rather than Saponi forebears.

 

If we, as a country, were to properly honor our Native Ancestors, then the day of observance should be separated from other holidays on an annual basis and not hidden on a day better known for shopping stampedes the day after gluttonous excess. Our Congress and President can and should do better by the people who served as an inspirational model for the representative democracy ideals upon which our government was based. Perhaps we could replace National White People Invasion Day- better known as Columbus Day- with National Heritage Day. But, still, for those who missed it and appreciate our native national heritage, whether in blood or spirit; take a moment and reflect on the meaning of that heritage and the meaning of this act of marginalization.

 

Remember, too, that, as with other minorities, the US government and Sates have, in the not distant past, taken active measures to dilute and diminish the presence of Native Americans. From the 1930’s until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it was common practice to place Native orphans with Anglo families with specific instructions that the orphans be not informed of their true origins or given any instruction respectful to Native culture.