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Syracuse University Celebrates Indigenous People’s Day Syracuse University Celebrates Indigenous People's Day

By Payton May

Indigenous People's Day Flag
© 2019 (c) Payton May

For Syracuse University student Kenny Wilson, renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day can’t rewrite his history. Wilson’s grandfather was stripped of his Navajo cultrein a boarding school and given new clothing, a new language, and even a new last name.

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(“Dinenizho Keegodi wasn’t going to fly…so they passed around a fishbowl with a bunch of white American names in it. So you went in a pulled out a last name and that was your last name from then on. And so he reached in and pulled out Wilson.”)

Native Americans have mixed views on replacing Columbus Day. Wilson says the change focusses on a history of hardship.

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(“I don’t like that Indigenous People’s Day is a renaming of Columbus Day. Because I think that just perpetuates the idea of always associating Native Americans with tragedy, with genocide, with forced land removals and death marches and things like that which is a huge part of our history that needs to be taught, but that’s not our entire existence.”)

Syracuse University honors natives at an event in the quad…students celebrating on land that used to belong to indigenous people.

Regina Jones, who works in the Native Student Program at Syracuse University, wants to promote education about Native American culture, history, and values.

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(“Today is about celebrating who we are as Haudenosaunee and Indigenous People, and I think mostly that we’re still here”)

And the drum of the Native American culture keeps on beating. Payton May, N-C-C News.”

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – For Syracuse University student Kenny Wilson, renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day can’t rewrite his history. Wilson was raised on a Navajo reservation in Arizona and grew up proud of his culture. He has learned the music, the traditional stories, and has even travelled to three of the sacred mountains to retrieve tobacco. Although his culture flourishes through his lifestyle now, that wasn’t always the case.

Wilson’s Navajo history was changed when his grandfather was put in a boarding school, along with many of the other Navajo children on his reservation. His grandfather was given new clothing, a new language, and even a new last name.

“Dinenizho Keegodi wasn’t going to fly…so they passed around a fishbowl with a bunch of white American names in it,” said Wilson. “So you went in a pulled out a last name and that was your last name from then on. And so he reached in and pulled out Wilson.”

As a regional holiday, Syracuse celebrates Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day. Native Americans have very mixed views on whether or not this change benefits their community.

“I don’t like that Indigenous People’s Day is a renaming of Columbus Day,” said Wilson.  “I think that just perpetuates the idea of always associating Native Americans with tragedy, with genocide, with forced land removals and death marches and things like that which is a huge part of our history that needs to be taught, but that’s not our entire existence.”

Syracuse University held an Indigenous People’s Day celebration on the quad. Students came to honor Native Americans on University land, land that ancestrally belonged to indigenous people.

Regina Jones, who works in the Native Student Program at Syracuse University, planned the event to educate others on Native American culture, values, and history. She also wanted to stress the importance of sustainability and taking care of the planet.

“Today is about celebrating who we are as Haudenosaunee and Indigenous People, and I think mostly that we’re still here,” said Jones.

Although there are differing opinions on the renaming of the day, the celebration made it clear that indigenous people keep their culture alive to cope with their history.

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