Episode Transcript
Back to another episode of Sorta Sophisticated People, a podcast where we talk about some stuff we think matters. In hopes to expand our world view as we try to be better people and hopefully learn a few things to get unstuck from our regular rut and routine. But really, we're just trying to be a little more cultured and curious by exploring new topics that might make us more interesting humans this sophisticated world. Sort of. I'm Pete, you already know that, sitting here with Amanda cause we've told you that for the last, I don't know, year now. And today we're exploring the history behind Indigenous People's Day. Because, let's be honest, it's high time we stopped celebrating a guy who got lost. Thought he was in India, and basically started a centuries long, awkward family dinner. In this episode, we're swapping out Columbus for actual history, and learning to celebrate cultures that were here Way before someone thought they could sail to Asia in basically a wooden bathtub, right? But you gotta give him credit. Total risk taker, man. Wasn't he? He was. I wouldn't do it. But I wouldn't either. I wouldn't even try it. And he did it. So you gotta give him some cred, but realistically, like, really? Finding America? Okay. Whatever. Hey. So, you know it's almost October 14th, right? Yeah. So? Uh, do you know what happens on October 14th this year? Yeah. We totally start decorating for Halloween. What? Clotch! I love that! Halloween's my favorite holiday. Is it actually? Yes, it was Gabby's too. We were crazy about it. How come we never had a Halloween party? We did. Why was I never invited to said Halloween party, Peter? Well, there's that. Wow. Okay, continue. But we're not really talking about Halloween. I'm talking about Columbus Day, or now more recently, Indigenous Peoples Day, depending on where you live. Oh, that's right. Do you get the day off? Oh, dude. Yeah, no, that's not my point. Did you know that Columbus Day is, like, actually still a thing? I think? No? Yeah, so I thought it was officially changed to Indigenous Peoples Day already, but I did some research and it hasn't been. Wait, what do you mean? I thought it was changed. Yeah, so, so no. So I guess Columbus Day is still technically a federal holiday. Yeah. Which means it's recognized by the US government so basically all federal employees and businesses observe and have that day off like banks Post offices all those people and stuff, but the states I guess can choose whether or not they want to observe a federal holiday I did not know this and With Columbus Day a bunch of states have changed the name of the holiday and I guess the actual like intent of the holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day so after doing some serious googling I figured out that at last count, 20 states actually still recognize Columbus Day. 19 states celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, including Washington, D. C. But some also still recognize Columbus Day alongside of it, and some don't. 8 don't know what the hell they're doing, and don't celebrate either anymore. South Dakota has something called Native American Day, Hawaii calls it Discoverer's Day, and Colorado went totally rogue. and celebrate something called Cabrini Day after Francis Cabrini, that awesome Italian sister who was canonized as a saint in like 1945 for basically just helping every immigrant ever. So basically we're just all over the place with this, right? Right. That's what happens when you leave it up to the states, I guess. I don't know, I kind of like it, because like, each state sort of has their own personality about it. Well, wherever you land on the debate, one thing is for sure. What is for sure? Tell me, I want to know now what's for sure. It fits pretty nicely into our little podcast, don't you think? Because if so many states have so many perspectives, it goes without saying that we need to appreciate varying perspectives and values. I'm not saying we have to agree with each other, but allowing others to have their positions will ultimately help us be more cultured and curious. And certainly a lot less judgmental. Okay. So then, right. So you sort of just answered the whole reason why we're being cultured and curious. You just nailed that. So I'm getting so much better. Like it's amazing. I didn't want, that's terrible. You've always been better. Oh, it's not good enough for your Halloween party. Got it. Yeah, exactly. All right. Fine. So give me the actual definition then of the celebration of indigenous people's day. Okay. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Word of the day first. Oh yeah. Yeah. Right, right. Let's go. Okay. So what do you got? Okay. So the word of the day today is syzygy. Is this like Cix? Uh, no, like the street. Oh, oh, the street. Like on the way to Vegas or bar X, Y, ZY? No, no, no. Ciggy. S-Y-Z-Y-G-Y-A. Ciggy is one. Y is a vowel. Yes. Oh, yes. You are correct. Like in rhythm? Yes. So a syzygy is a term that refers to when two or more Celestial objects like planets or stars are in a straight line. Wait, what? Okay, yeah. So, imagine when, like, the sun, moon, and earth are all aligned. That's like a syzygy. Like an eclipse. No, no, no. No, no, no. Not that rare. They don't need to have, like, full coverage, right? This isn't, full bikini coverage or anything. This happens, like, all the time, like, every two weeks or so, during a full moon or a new moon. They're just, like, Mostly aligned. I'm sorry. That's dumb. Who needs that word? But also, number two, when it's a full moon and a new moon, isn't it the same moon? Yeah, but I'm just saying they're lined up. That's why it's like the shadow or the no shadow, like, that's the whole point. That's the syzygy. Oh, I see. Right? Don't judge. Okay, just go with it. I randomly picked these things up, okay? Okay, well. You can do better next time. This one kind of sucks. Why? Because it's hard? Why? Yeah, it's hard. I mean, it's harder than, what was the other one? What other one? Tight butt. Oh, callipygian? No, that was easy. I did that like five times. That's fine. Listen, deal with it. Okay, wait. So what was your real question before we got sidetracked? Like, because you asked me a question up there. I don't remember what it was. I wanted to know the actual definition of the celebration of Indigenous People's Day. Oh, gracias. Thank you for, for re prompting. I love that. Here we go. Strap it on. You ready? Okay. So, I googled it. Indigenous Peoples Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples. It serves as a counter celebration to Columbus Day, which traditionally commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. 1492. 1492. Holy shit. Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Right. So Indigenous Peoples Day seeks to recognize the longstanding presence and significant contributions of Native American communities. I know I'm reading. It's terrible, but bear with me, as well as acknowledge the harm caused by colonization, including the displacement, mistreatment, and genocide of indigenous populations. The day aims to foster awareness of indigenous history, culture, and cultural resilience and the ongoing challenges indigenous people face today, which when you think about it also answers the question about how learning about each topic makes us more cultured and curious. So yeah, we just like totally killed two birds with one stone. I'm so efficient, even though you already did it earlier. So, yeah. Hey, that was kind of like a syzygy. Like, you did it, then I did it. Um, wrong. That was more like luck. Not a syzygy. And no planets were involved. So, do over. Okay, I thought we kind of lined up. So, I got a half, I get partial syzygy. Okay, fine. B minus. B minus. Fine. Okay. Wait. Another question. What? What do we celebrate in California? Because now I'm just super confused. Um, so am I. And Amanda, you're not going to believe this, but even after I researched all this, I'm still confused. So don't worry. Uh, tell me. Yeah. So this is, this is gonna take a minute. Do you have like some sort of like Quaalude or something you take right now? 'cause you're gonna need it. What's Quaalude? I don't know. It's like an old drug that like, helps you but maybe helps you relax. I don't know. I never took a, Quaalude. I think a Quaalude is a hallucinogen okay. Alright. So this is kind of nuts. So technically California does observe the federal holiday Columbus day and federal workers have the day off, but we're way too liberal and nobody wants to recognize that it's really Columbus day. So California as a state does not recognize Columbus day so far. So good. Nope. Okay. So federal, federal employees get it off state employees and everybody else, we ignore it completely. Who's a federal employee? I don't know. Banks. Right? Government offices? Post offices? Yes. They'll close. Federal employees, right? But state? No. We ignore it. Okay. It only gets worse from here, Amanda. I can't make this up. So a few years ago, good old Gavy Newsom signs a proclamation saying that it's Indigenous People's Day instead. Of course he did. Yeah, no. But wait. It was only for one year. In 2019. Wait. Can you do that? Is that actually a thing? Yeah, I don't know. California is nuts. Right? So wait. In 2019, there was Indigenous People's Day. And then in 2020 It's not Indigenous Peoples Day. Correct. Well, let's be honest, nobody probably celebrated holidays in 2020. Because they were all dying of COVID, remember? But, that's not my point. So, 2020, 2021, not celebrated. But then in 2022 and 2023, he does it again. But again, only for those specific years. I don't even understand what the hell is going on anymore. Right, so me neither. Okay, so to make this way more confusing, right? Oh really? Just now you think it's just getting more confusing. Yeah, okay now I've okay good point. I've been confused this whole time Do you know that California also has a state holiday on the 4th Friday in September called Native American Day sure did it? Yeah, okay, but only sort of what do you mean sorta? Okay? Yeah, even though we declared it a state holiday Employees have to use a personal day to get paid. It's not automatic. We suck We I mean California as a whole totally does suck. But wait what now? I don't know the difference between indigenous Peoples Day and Native American Day. Yeah. Okay, so good question me neither I'm glad we're doing this episode because it's making me sort of sophisticated so indigenous Peoples Day focuses more on trying to help people shift their perspective on colonization in general like nationwide and Native American Day is State specific and focuses on the contributions and heritage of Native Americans in California only You That's the difference between those two days. Got it? Okay. And really, I think we should be embarrassed for not already knowing all this stuff, because with all the indigenous tribes that call California their home, like, we should know this. But, at least we care enough to learn about it now. Right? Indeed. Indeed. I like that. Look at you, always taking the high road. I mean you can't go back and fix shit. So so we got to just go from here and learn So I'm gonna embarrass myself a little bit more here Native American Day actually isn't even really new or anything It goes all the way back to 1939 and actually California was the first state to recognize something like it And then in 1968, then Governor Ronald Reagan made it an official state holiday. But it's an unpaid state holiday, so nobody really knows about it. Well, yeah. Or cares about it. There's that. Yes. I can't fix that. Okay, wait. So, hold on. Another thing. We never really answered the question of what we actually celebrate in California. So it's not Columbus Day. Anymore since 2023 and it seems to be indigenous people's day every once in a while when our governor decides it is So then what's the real answer? Like what are we gonna celebrate this year? Okay, so around the corner. Yes, it is So you kind of just answered your own question. I don't think I did. No, actually you did. All right, so it's really hard to To get a bill passed to change the holiday. I mean they added Juneteenth, right? But it's very complicated so in the meantime as long as Gavin Newsom is our governor My guess is that each year he will proclaim indigenous people day a state holiday with no pay and no day off Of course until such time as another governor gets elected Or we finally get legislation passed. Well, how much longer is he governor? I don't know. I think till like 2027 or something, I think. So we got a few more indigenous people's days in us. Okay. Fair. Yeah. Okay. And full disclosure, someone should really fact check me on all this stuff. Cause I did all this research in like an hour on the internet and remember we're only being sort of sophisticated. So asterisks check my math, you know what I mean? Duly noted. Yes, seriously. But. Now I need to know what, why, Columbus Day became a thing to begin with. I mean, I know in history teaches he founded America, but like that was it, was it really just that simple? How do we know he founded America? So almost in 14 92. Uh, because he posted it on Instagram. Like what? How do you 1492. Oh yeah, totally. Yeah, there was Instagram back then. Okay. Did he like carve it on the walls? He did. Oh, okay. What, like, like, back, what, what are you talking about, like, caveman era? Like, me make it, me make it to America. No, it wasn't like that. 1492 is real far away. So basically, the story goes like this. So Christopher Columbus found America by accident in 1492 cause someone gave him shitty directions I guess. He was actually trying to reach Asia by sailing west looking for a shorter route to the East Indies. You remember the story. Duh, right? Grade school. King Ferdie and Queen Bella give him a bunch of money and he takes three ships named the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa. That's a lot of, yeah. Yeah, that, right. Oh my god, in perfect Syzygy. Right? The Dean of the Pins of the Santa Maria! Yes! Okay, and so he sets sail. That counts! That counts! They probably did sail in a straight line at one point. Yes, that counts. We're counting that. Okay, so then he sets sail. On October 12, 1492, he lands in the Bahamas, which he thinks is Asia, and runs into a bunch of indigenous peoples, who have lived there for like a millennia, mind you. Like, seriously, a long time. But he still says, tough shit, I discovered this for Spain, cause, uh, you people don't speaky me lingy, and brings over a bunch more boats to explore, than colonize. Oh, and also kill a bunch of people and stuff, too. Yeah. My teacher didn't quite teach it the same way that you just explained it. But I think I get the idea. Oh, that was the idea, Amanda. That was the idea. Right? Okay. So a few hundred years go by until 1792 when the Society of St. Tammany, whatever the heck that is, decided it's high time to celebrate Columbus' achievements and throw a 300 year anniversary bash in his honor, technically marking the first Columbus day all the way back then. Hmm. And then again, a hundred years later, on the 400th anniversary, and in response to an anti Italian motivated lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans a year earlier, President Benjamin Harrison issues a nationwide proclamation marking, I guess, the second? Columbus Day? I guess they're doing these once every hundred years, right? And then finally, thanks or no thanks to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1937 it became an official federal holiday in the United States and again, under some pressure during the run up to World War II, as Italian Americans were being targeted as enemy aliens, he had to do it, right? So I guess the idea was about helping out one culture, we screwed over another one. Um, well Well put. So that's basically Columbus Day in a nutshell, because I will tell you a lot of Italian immigrants see this as sort of a big deal, like for Italian immigration. Kind of like a nephew, like a No, it mattered. I mean, that's a big part of their history and culture. And then they came to the United States and made a name for themselves. And so if you're in the Italian American community, like It's a big deal like they're fighting back and so they should right? I mean, I don't have this all figured out here I'm just being sort of sophisticated, right? Right. So but now Okay, let's hop to indigenous people day Can you give me the history of how that whole movement got started and why it took so long? Because I mean he landed in 1492. He did more than 500 years ago. I know. Okay, I feel like it's recent Sort of okay, we say sort of way too much. Okay. So listen, it's no secret Columbus showed up here in America Basically led to I don't know exploitation enslavement basically genocide of indigenous people like all over the Caribbean all of it, right We're talking mass displacement like forced intermixing the death of a whole shit ton of Native American communities across the continent, right? So history is written by winners though, right And European colonization won. So basically for like a gazillion years, the voices of all these people were ignored or even worse, sometimes misrepresented. Yeah. But for 500 years, for 500 years, look up until pretty recently, like in my lifetime, indigenous people in the U S were forced to relocate, had their treaties broken And have been totally suppressed and had to deal with like the effects of systematic racism. They have and had like almost zero political power, Amanda. It wasn't really until the civil rights movement in the 1960s that people even like started changing our political system. And some indigenous activists actually start making noise. They were done with the whole Columbus is a hero thing. They wanted to flip the script. instead of celebrating a guy who didn't know how to use a map, they figured it's time to celebrate the people who were already here and thriving long before the Italian mafia arrived. Right? Okay, so up pops the American Indian Movement, the AIM, a grassroots organization founded in 1968, who would have known, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the whitest place ever, mind you. To start to address all the issues. in the Native American communities. Poverty, discrimination, you know, police brutality, these kind of things. How's that for a syzygy? I'm like throwing syzygy at you everywhere. I still don't think it's the right way to use it. That is. I just did the three things. Okay, they're kind of lined up. Poverty, discrimination, police brutality. Bear with me. I don't know if they're lined up. We're not going to talk about the sun, the moon, and the stars here. Okay. So we got to go with it. Okay. Okay. So check this out. So they occupy Alcatraz. in San Francisco for like 19 months from 1969 to 1971, claiming the land under the treaty of Fort Laramie, which promised unused federal land and natives people. So check, like the American Indian movement's kicking butt all the way back then. So then in 1972, there was a trail of broken treaties. AIM led a cross country caravan to Washington, DC to present a 20 point proposal to the federal government demanding the restoration of native lands sovereignty. and their treaty rights back because we broke all the treaties all the time. Then again, in 1973, they occupied Wounded Knee in South Dakota to protest corruption within the Sioux tribal government and the US government's failure to honor treaties. The standoff with federal authorities lasted 71 days and drew a boatload of attention to a's cause. So that goes on for a while, till like 1977 at the United Nations sponsored International Conference on discrimination against indigenous populations in the America. Say that 10 times fast. Wow. That was hard to get through. Okay. Right. Anyway, some brave people stand up and finally propose the idea of replacing Columbus Day with. A day honoring indigenous people. We're in 1977 when this all starts. That's crazy. Alright, but on the backs of AIM, right? So let's go. I mean, there was some people doing some stuff. Okay, so it takes a minute because nothing happens overnight. Of course I made it. And the idea sort of fermented for a while and started getting traction over the next few decades. So come 1990, South Dakota, South Dakota stood up and became the first us state to officially recognize what they actually still call Native American day, but no one really pays attention to South Dakota anyway, who are we kidding? Remember those were the guys that like, Chiseled the faces of four white men in a mountain. Don't forget right? Yeah, that's not great. Yeah, not really great But maybe that's why they made up for it with like Native American Day because they were like, well We put these four white people here. I guess they're gray people if they're in a mountain They're not really white people, but you get the idea wait, wait, wait, but South Dakota's totally making up for it Are they yeah because they're doing that huge crazy horse monument. That's like supposed to be like ten times the size of it's gonna be amazing Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay, so good on South Dakota. Okay. So anyway, so shit goes sideways for a little while longer, right? So they're just sort of doing their thing and then in 1992, of course Berkeley the city of Berkeley Right here in the good old fashioned Golden State. It's totally fed up And becomes the first city in the country to officially adopt the term Indigenous People's Day. Because basically it was the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in America. And they were fired up to rewrite history in a more accurate and less embarrassing way. So, what's up? I guess go Berkeley. Right? Totally. So then different cities and towns go rogue for like the next 25 years until Alaska gets on board in 2015. And only now in the last five or seven years or so did the other 17 states that I talked about earlier, uh, start making proclamations. And only three years ago in 2021, good old Joe Biden becomes the first sitting president to issue a proclamation recognizing indigenous peoples day for the first time. But, why do they call Joe a sitting president? Is it because he's so old? I'm just kidding. That was pretty good. Okay, um, No, I don't know, probably, maybe he's too old, can't stand up, I don't know. Wow! Kidding, remember, kidding. Right, it's because he's current, the sitting president's the current president, right? Differentiates current, former, newly elected, not inaugurated, there's a lot that goes into this president stuff. You can't, you can't just I guess, I just think sitting's a funny term, that's all. Right, right. Where's he sitting? He's sitting on the toilet? Okay. No, in the Oval Office. Right. Whoa. Do you think he has an oval toilet in the Oval Office? Probably. Doesn't everyone have an oval toilet? No, they're not all oval. Some of them are like, you can either get the round, or you can get the oval. Who has a round toilet anymore? I feel like I might have one. Those were like pink and yellow back in the day. I feel like I might have one round toilet in my house. I don't know. I'm gonna go look now. Anyway. We're basically all up to date. You got the whole movement, yes? Yes. We're there? You know Columbus Day, you know Indigenous Peoples Day, you get it, okay? It's taken a while, for sure. But I think there's definitely a shift happening, right? I didn't even know but Columbus Day wasn't a thing anymore and it seems like people really do want to generally honor indigenous voices and gain a broader understanding of their history but I do think we have a really long way to go and the movement is still evolving it feels like so we all just gotta keep doing our parts and making our voices heard I suppose. I think we need to we need to preach it right? Gotta get the word out there so basically here's the deal right indigenous people day give credit where credit's due but it's pretty complicated because well you We don't want to idolize some guy who couldn't even admit he wasn't in India. We do have to consider there's a lot of other immigrants behind this, specifically the Italian Americans, like I talked about earlier, and we don't want to disparage any of them either because they're rad too. So kind of complicated, but since we're in America, In my opinion, we got to stick with whoever was here first. I'm just saying. But who are we kidding anyway? What? Indigenous people are still facing some massive challenges. Even today in 2024, they have almost no real access to quality healthcare and the Indian health service IHS, the one that manages all their mental health programs is underfunded and understaffed and reservations are some of the poorest areas in the United States. And they lack the infrastructure and economic development to break the cycle of poverty. And overcrowding and shitty housing conditions are a huge problem on many reservations. Native lands continue to be threatened by resource extraction, like mining and drilling, which ends up threatening water sources, sacred sites, and their traditional hunting and fishing grounds. You get what I'm laying down here. I totally get you're you are on a roll. Like seriously, I love this. This is what we're talking about. But it's like so important because Native American students go to underfunded schools that lack culturally relevant curricula and as a result have lower graduation rates which totally sucks because then they don't go to college and if you don't go to college you have not as high of an opportunity. Right. And then the cycle continues. And it continues. And it sucks. Also, did you know Native American women and girls face disproportionately high rates of violence including domestic abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking? No, no, seriously? Yeah, and it's this whole thing. It's the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis. So, MMIWG for short. Of influencers have started bringing attention to this issue, but many of these cases remain unsolved or uninvestigated. So it really highlights the lack of adequate law enforcement resources and legal protections. They are the most under protected group out there, like by far, in my opinion. That sucks. I didn't know any of this stuff. I got to look this up. Like that's something I really would get behind. Like, I would like figure out how to help. I don't even know how to help, but this is something that needs attention. And even though they are recognized as sovereign nations, like you said earlier, they're still getting screwed when it comes to exercising their own self governance. So federal and state governments still to this day, impose regulations that undermine tribal authority, which basically doesn't even let them manage their own lands, resources, and really their whole community. So really it's a bunch of bullshit, and we really need to make progress. So, okay, I'm gonna get off my soapbox, but it just kind of sucks. Don't get off your soapbox! That was the best ever! Like, are you kidding me? Like, you, researched the shit out of this episode and just laid that on me. That was awesome. I mean, TikTok. It's totally, I, I don't, wherever you find it, I don't even care. I think it's just totally important. I don't think enough people give two shits about what's going on. cause we're all so self absorbed. It totally sucks. I'm glad we're doing this episode, and I, for one, want to be a part of any movement that's willing to help out. But before we start marching on Washington, give me and our fellow listeners some fun facts, maybe, to lighten things up, because, you know, I just kind of went hard. Yeah, you did. You did go hard. I'm going to give you some useless shit right now that you won't even remember, even if you tried. All right. Are you ready? Okay. Let's go. And by the way, I ain't lightening anything up. There's no lightening here. I know. I figure so much. This is, right. This is heavy shit. This is, we are in unfun fact world. I'm mourning. Fair. But I think that it's important. Yeah. To like, sit in the heaviness. Okay. But here, let me tell you this though. Like, we're gonna actually, like, fun fact or not fun fact, we're gonna learn some shit right now. Some more stuff. Okay. So this isn't, we're not making jokes now. Ready? Ready. Okay. So we've been talking all about indigenous people's day, like, in the United States, but did you know there's an International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples? No. Yeah. So it started in 1995 and it's celebrated on August 9th of each year. Celebrating all the world's indigenous communities. Like everywhere. Well, that's awesome. Never knew about it. Yeah. Totally. We've been doing it for 30 years. It's awesome. I mean, we're talking about like, uh, Australia, right? We're talking about Africa. We're everywhere, right? Why is it a bigger deal here? I don't, I don't know. Why don't we join in with the world? Right. So what are we doing on August 9th? We're just ignoring things. I don't know. Okay. Next one. For 50 years, Columbus Day was celebrated on October 12th, like the actual date of Columbus' landing in 1492. So they say October 12th, right? Like it didn't move static. But in 1971 it was moved to the second Monday in October to create a long weekend as part of something called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to help workers have more three day weekends by moving federal holiday observances to Mondays. Like, look at that. I get why it's moved. 'cause it's weird to have like a holiday in the middle field. They're gonna give it off, I guess. Off right. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act people who would have known we signed it. Yeah. Yeah Next one. Did you know other countries actually celebrate Columbus Day like not just America, but why yeah Okay, cuz it totally has different names like in Latin America. It's known as Dia de la Raza day of the race I guess because He originally landed in the Caribbean. He didn't land in the United States. He landed in the Caribbean So they celebrate and in Spain, it's celebrated as Fiesta Nacional de España Or Dia de la Hispanidad because you know remember they funded the whole thing and stuff so you have to have one in Spain There you go. Look at that. Okay. Um, next one. Did you know Native Americans spoke more than three hundred languages? Now, is that three, because there's three hundred different tribes? No. There's way more. Way more. Way more. Yeah. That's a lot. I know it is. So here's the sad part. Most of them are long gone as a result of this whole assimilation policy directed by our government. Okay. So listen to this. In 1868, then President Ulysses S. Grant declared, and I quote, in the difference of language today lies two thirds of our trouble, their barbarous dialect should be blotted out and the English language substituted. Talking about the Native Americans, of course. Totally shitty move by Grant. So get this, as a result of this decision, Native American children were taken to Indian boarding schools and educated in English. And it wasn't until 1972. 1972, Amanda. I was already born. When Congress finally passed the Indian Education Act declaring that Native American tribes were permitted to teach English. Their own languages. What the fuck? Seriously. And now because of all this, it's now believed that all but two Native American languages are in danger of disappearing altogether by 2050. It's really shameful. It is terrible. It's terrible. Unbelievable, right? I told you this wasn't going to be awesome. Okay, next one. Oh, this answered your other question. There's 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States. Of those 574, 229 are found in Alaska, 109 are in California, and the rest are spread out all across the country. And all of these tribes have government to government relationships with the United States. Like any other sovereign nation would, but it's estimated that another 400 tribes do not have federal recognition, which means they're Ineligible for government programs and support and left to their own devices. How do you 400 more? How do you become a federally recognized tribe? I don't know. Apparently you got it You got to be big and know people or have a voice I'm not sure because some of these smaller ones are getting the shaft tragic. It is totally tragic Alright, I got more you can you still do more cuz I got like four or five. I don't know This is a lot. It is a lot. Um, so in the ugliness go Okay, we're gonna, oh god, okay, well actually this one's kind of nice, did you know that Native Americans cultivated like basically all of the world's most important crops? Like all of them. Okay? Most Native American tribes Not just corn? No, not just corn. Most Native American tribes practiced agriculture. Duh. Domesticating the crops we eat today. In 2016, it was estimated that as much as 60 percent of the global food supply was based on crops that originated in North America by Native Americans. As an example, corn, It was created by indigenous farmers around 10, 000 years ago, and by the time European colonists arrived in North America, Native Americans had been growing it for thousands of years. They also cultivated beans, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, just to name a few. Staples, we use every day. I mean, they're the OG farmers for sure. They totally are. 60 percent of the global food supply cultivated originally by Native American Indians. Okay, next one. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is one of the oldest living democracies in the world. The what? The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, I think I'm saying that right, which translates to the people of the Longhouse, also called the Iroquois Confederacy or the Six Nations. It was originally formed by five tribal nations, Mohawk, Oneida, and Seneca, and then they added the Tuscarora centuries later. I probably butchered some of those, you get the idea. Some researchers believe it was founded in 1142. While the Confederacy itself says it has existed since, quote, time immemorial. So regardless, wherever it was started, it's considered one of the oldest participatory democracies on Earth. The nations are united by the great law of peace, kainekaroa, which serves as their political constitution. And it stands as the basis for our U. S. Constitution. It proclaimed that sovereignty resides in the people, kainekaroa. And it was also the first to consider separation of powers and advocate for the distinct branches of government. So there you go. It's official. We plagiarized. We stole it. Who knew? Yeah. Kaine Rakkowa. That's totally cool. Real unfun fact. The Trail of Tears. Native Americans were forcibly displaced by the Indian Relocation Act in 1830, signed by President Andrew Jackson. The act was spurred by the desire for white settlers to grow cotton, seriously, cotton, in the south on the valuable lands of the Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and other Native American Indian tribes. The act was used to force Native Americans out of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and sent them to Territory, located in what is now Oklahoma. Thousands died during these forced migrations. Thus, the name, Trail of Tears. I really do think we need to spend more time on that, and like, our normal education system. Seriously. No, we breeze by this stuff. The damage that was done. And we sit here and we talk about it in like third grade, we learn about it, and then nobody pays any attention from then on. And if I ask my kids, I'm embarrassed as a dad, I'm embarrassed for my family, Like it's crazy stuff. We need to do a better job. Thank you for caring. I love this Okay, finally last but not least Native Americans weren't even granted American citizenship until 1924 a hundred years ago when President Calvin Coolidge signed\ The Indian Citizenship Act into law some Native Americans were already considered u. s Citizens because of the 1887 Dawes Act which granted citizenship to those who accepted land grants You However, even though they had been given full citizenship, many Native Americans were still denied the right to vote. Voting rights were left up to the states, and many states continued to deny voting rights for decades to come. This went on, Amanda, until the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. No, this is my point like they weren't even voting. It's crazy. Yes, and you were totally right. This is some heavy shit Yeah, that's it. That's all I got. Yeah, I guess I still love fun facts. Good job I it is important stuff that we need to learn and So much of our history that we don't learn that would probably make us better humans today if we did amen All right. So recap this episode for me. Just let me know the things that I need to remember and make it simple because now I'm just like emotionally tired. I know, but you got to remember it all. I mean, if we're going to, if who's going to preach it, if me and you ain't preaching it, you think people are looking this up? We got to preach it. Well, so you just got to make it like pretty pointed. I'll go. I'll go pointed. Okay. First, watch Conquistadors, the rise and fall on Nat Geo TV. First episode, it's only 40 minutes. Great documentary. The whole first season is only six episodes. They're all good, but the first one is the one about Christopher Columbus. But if you want to watch something newer, check out killers of the flower moon, the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI, probably on Amazon Prime or something. I don't know. It's a story about how we totally screwed the Osage out of oil money that was rightfully theirs. Great cast, loved the movie, book, also 5 star for sure if you want to read the book. Super sad story. Did you actually read it and watch it? Read the book, watched the movie, unbelievable. Just came out like this year. I think it won Academy Award for something. If it was Best Picture, I apologize, I should know that, but it won something. Look at you, proud of you. I know, okay. Second, care about the cause and support indigenous owned businesses. I think that's a great, great place to start. So, if you think like, what can I really do? Right? Like, that's a place where I think you can go. look up Indigenous owned businesses in your local community. Purchase from Indigenous artisans. Go to their restaurants. help support their livelihood. Number one, above all things. That's where I'd go. Okay, third, contribute to non profits that support Indigenous causes, such as education, healthcare, land rights. Right? Try, uh, the Native American Rights Fund, the NARF. And the first nation's development Institute. Or the, what was it? The MM IWG, right? I think those are great places to go figure out how to help. Uh, fourth, when indigenous people's day rolls around this year, share the fun fact about how many States still celebrate Columbus day and how many have already made the shift and how many still can't decide, chat it up with people, start talking about, and finally share these interesting and relevant details to seem sort of sophisticated one, Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 at a United Nations sponsored conference on discrimination against Indigenous populations in the Americas. It was created to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous peoples and to provide an alternative narrative to Columbus Day. Two, the day serves to recognize resilience, achievements, and diverse cultures of Indigenous communities. It also aims to raise awareness of the impact of colonization, including historical and ongoing injustices faced by indigenous peoples, indigenous people's day challenges, the traditional celebration of Columbus day, which many view as glorifying colonization and erasing indigenous history. It seeks to provide a more accurate reflection of history by acknowledging the suffering caused by European colonization. Four. Although not yet a federal holiday, Indigenous Peoples Day is increasingly recognized across the United States with more states, cities, and institutions adopting it as an official holiday. This trend reflects the broader movement towards honoring Indigenous perspectives and histories. Five. And finally, while it may seem easy enough to shit on Columbus, never forget he represents the spirit of adventure, resilience, and a pursuit of opportunity. And he was already really dead before we decided to name a holiday after him. His voyages helped spur scientific curiosity, technological advancements, and a broader understanding of our world. So, even though we don't need to have a holiday for him, we certainly should appreciate the man behind the controversy, because he didn't name the holiday after himself, right? He wasn't that crazy. He wasn't. And there you have it, folks. The history of Indigenous Peoples Day. A story that's as rich and complex as The 50 different ways you try to pronounce Haudenosaunee while listening. So next year, when your friend invites you to a Columbus Day Sale, just say, no thanks, I'm busy celebrating people who were here long before two ships and a questionable sense of direction showed up. Remember, it's not just a day off. It's a day on to learn, reflect, and maybe finally put yourself in the shoes of those that really built this nation, you know, the hard way. See you next time. And don't forget to keep decolonizing that calendar. We'd like to think we've shared just enough information to make you more sophisticated in either a flaming nuisance or a bit more interesting to your fellow humans, sort of. If you enjoyed this episode and found it particularly interesting, don't forget to leave a review and share with your peeps until next time. Stay curious and stay inspired. Hey, hey, wait, do you know how to say stay curious and stay inspired in like Lakota? I don't know. I'm hoping you do. You want to, you want me to try this? I do. One young car won't specky. I, Annie means look and be curious and then stay inspired is Oh, one Naki. I'm probably screwing that all up, but there it is. But you tried. I tried. Here we go. Yes, so look and be curious and stay inspired, people.
