Minneapolis Changes Columbus Day to 'Indigenous Peoples Day'

[FWS]

Minneapolis Changes Columbus Day to 'Indigenous Peoples Day'

Adam Chandler
The Wire.com
Apr 26, 2014



In what seems destined to become a new front in some culture war, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution recognizing 'Indigenous Peoples Day' on what's known nationally as Columbus Day. The vote took place late yesterday.

Here's a little sliver of the language from the city council resolution:

The City of Minneapolis recognizes the annexation of Dakota homelands for the building of our city, and knows Indigenous nations have lived upon this land since time immemorial and values the progress our society has accomplished through American Indian technology, thought, and culture...

Therefore, be it resolved by the city council that the city of Minneapolis shall recognize Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October.”

Columbus, for whom countless cities, high schools, one pretty important district, and a federal holiday observed in 46 states are named, apparently wasn't the enemy here. City Council Member Alondra Cano, which helped lead the charge on the resolution offered this sugary soundbite to help the medicine go down.

This is not necessarily about Columbus. He is not the center of our existence. This is about the power of the American Indian people and indigenous communities all over the world. We are setting the record straight.”

An earlier version of the resolution sought to rename the holiday entirely, but that was scrapped. Instead, Columbus Day will technically live on in Minneapolis, but all city communications will simply use the new name instead.

It seems safe to say that this will ultimately be seen as an indictment of Columbus' historical record in quarters both left and right.

[FWS]

and values the progress our society has accomplished through American Indian technology, thought, and culture...

There actually is a lot of indigenous technology that our society should be appreciative of........................

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Gag

[PamIsMe]

Good for them!
They're certainly not the only ones:

"According to CBS, the following states do not recognize Columbus Day as an official holiday: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
If you live in these states, you probably have to go to work.

Some industries are closed nationwide: Banks, Federal Government and Federal Court offices and the Post Office.

If you work in these offices, you have the day off. But the stock market is open. Sorry Wall Street.

Schools are open on a state by state and even city by city basis.

Incidentally, don’t feel too bad if you’ve been left out.

Columbus Day is a relatively recent holiday, only nationally recognized in 1937. Apparently it was an effort to curry favor with the Italian American vote."


Even Columbus OH doesn't celebrate it since the controversy began.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Holidays are a pain in the asss for me. Since I'm self employed they are just another day when I can't close a deal.

[trappincoyotes39]

South Dakota it is called native Americans day.

[PamIsMe]

"Since I'm self employed they are just another day when I can't close a deal. "

I'd say for most it's another free day to enjoy the out of doors and go trapping or hunting :-)

Pam

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

I'm as native of an American as it's possible to be.

[blackhammer]

The Minnesota senate is also changing the name of the Asian carp to the invasive carp because it may offend Asians. Columbus is one thing but does anyone actually think this politically correct move isn't stupid? I mean give me a break. Being a Norweigan , Norway rats offends me. lol The world we live in.

[FWS]

Norway rats offends me.

It probably should given the fact that the brown rat did not originate from Norway. Blame the British !!!!!

Naming and etymology

Originally called the "Hanover rat" by people wishing to link problems in 18th century England with the House of Hanover,[3] it is not known for certain why the brown rat is named Rattus norvegicus (Norwegian rat), as it did not originate from Norway. However, the English naturalist John Berkenhout, author of the 1769 book Outlines of the Natural History of Great Britain, is most likely responsible for popularizing the misnomer. Berkenhout gave the brown rat the binomial name Rattus norvegicus, believing it had migrated to England from Norwegian ships in 1728, although no brown rat had entered Norway at that time.

By the early to middle part of the 19th century, British academics were aware that the brown rat was not native to Norway, hypothesizing (incorrectly) that it may have come from Ireland, Gibraltar or across the English Channel with William the Conqueror.[4] As early as 1850, however, a more correct understanding of the rat's origins was beginning to develop.[5] The British novelist Charles Dickens acknowledged the misnomer in his weekly journal, All the Year Round, writing:

"Now there is a mystery about the native country of the best known species of rat, the common brown rat. It is frequently called, in books and otherwise, the 'Norway rat', and it is said to have been imported into this country in a ship-load of timber from Norway. Against this hypothesis stands the fact that when the brown rat had become common in this country, it was unknown in Norway, although there was a small animal like a rat, but really a lemming, which made its home there."[6]

Academics began to understand the origins and corrected etymology of the brown rat towards the end of the 19th century, as seen in the 1895 text Natural History by American scholar Alfred Henry Miles:

"The brown rat is the species common in England, and best known throughout the world. It is said to have travelled from Persia to England less than two hundred years ago and to have spread from thence to other countries visited by English ships."[7]

Though the assumptions surrounding this species' origins were not yet entirely accurate, by the 20th century, it was established among naturalists that the brown rat did not originate in Norway, rather the species came from central Asia and (likely) China.[8] Despite this, this species' common name of "Norway rat" is still in use today.

[trappnman]

what pisses me off about politicians- is they cam spend millions on utter nonsense, then balk at spending money for things the public actually wants and needs

[FWS]

is they cam spend millions on utter nonsense,

I doubt the insertion of language into an existing bill to use the term 'invasive carp' rather than 'Asian carp' is costing much of anything really.

And there's really no reason to get upset over that amendment since 'invasive' is an accurate term, 'introduced invasive' being more accurate.



Asian Carp's New Politically Correct Name Is 'Nuts,' Says Limbaugh

NewsMax.com
Tuesday, 06 May 2014

What everyone else calls Asian carp are now known in Minnesota as "invasive carp," after the State Senate last week approved a measure officially changing the "hurtful" name of the fish. That was enough to drive Rush Limbaugh nuts.

State Sen. John Hoffman, who argued in favor of the name change, told his colleagues that referring to the fish as Asian was "hurtful to some people," considering the fish is an invasive, destructive species that out-competes native fish species for food and habitat, The Associated Press reported.

The name change was included in a larger bill that governs Minnesota natural-resource use, the AP noted.

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The politically correct gesture was not missed by conservative radio host Limbaugh, who on his website on Monday wrote, "Political correctness is just going nuts, going crazy," referring to the Minnesota State Senate's decision to spend time on what he sees as a trivial issue.

"Who was offended? I'll betcha nobody was. Nobody even knew. This guy is just trying to be politically correct and score some points," Limbaugh continued. "This political correctness just continues to spread. It's like a disease. It's like an incurable disease. It just spreading and it's irrational."

According to a report released last April, the aggressive Asian carp has reached the Great Lakes despite the government's attempt to keep them out. Researchers now believe the destructive species, which has been steadily moving northward for about 40 years, are now in southern Lake Michigan, putting at risk a sensitive ecosystems and a $7 billion fishing industry.

The species is known to be incredibly prolific and can reach a weight of up to 100 pounds by gorging on plankton.

Initially imported into the U.S. in the 1970s to filter pond water in Arkansas fish farms, Asian carp managed to escape and, according to the National Wildlife Federation, presently represent more than 97 percent of the biomass in portions of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

In addition to their size and the risk they pose for native fish, Asian carp are also known for their jumping abilities. They are easily frightened by the sound of underwater motors which cause them to jump out of the water and have been known to land in passing boats.

[thorsmightyhammer]

May 6, 2014 15:47:38 GMT -6 mostinterestingmanintheworld said:

I'm as native of an American as it's possible to be.

Pretty much.

Pam, very few of us take a day off for columbus day.

Pretty much only people who work for a government.

[mostinterestingmanintheworld]

Well at least you can name an NFL team after invasive carp. Asian carp would have been problematic.

[trappnman]

I doubt the insertion of language into an existing bill to use the term 'invasive carp' rather than 'Asian carp' is costing much of anything really.

And there's really no reason to get upset over that amendment since 'invasive' is an accurate term, 'introduced invasive' being more accurate.

and I have no doubt that they spent time debating the bill, and that time, costs $$$$

I'm not upset over the amendment- just that with all the legitimate concerns- its not something that NEEED to be addressed today- save stuff like that when all other pressing issues are taken care of.

priorites

[makete]

May 6, 2014 15:47:38 GMT -6 mostinterestingmanintheworld said:

I'm as native of an American as it's possible to be.

How Native American are you? I'm glad that some states do understand what the Native people have done for them, it's about time.

[thorsmightyhammer]

Just as native as you are.

[trappnman]

not so-

native has 2 different meanings and they aren't interchangable

1) meaning the historical indigenous people

2) meaning one born there in modern era

[thorsmightyhammer]

Define "indigenous"

Canada calls it "first nation"

Thats more appropriate.

[trappnman]

indigenous, as determined by international law and standards, lists it as such:

a. Occupation of ancestral lands, or at least of part of them
b. Common ancestry with the original occupants of these lands
c. Culture in general, or in specific manifestations (such as religion, living under a tribal system, membership of an indigenous community, dress, means of livelihood, lifestyle, etc.)
d. Language (whether used as the only language, as mother-tongue, as the habitual means of communication at home or in the family, or as the main, preferred, habitual, general or normal language)


-----------------------------------

"first nation" is a term often used by singular tribes, meaning other tribes are not