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3 Reasons why I recognize Indigenous People’s Day and why I cannot celebrate Columbus Day

3 Reasons why I recognize Indigenous People’s Day and why I cannot celebrate Columbus Day

Last updated on: October 9, 2023 at 12:01 am by Rob Dalrymple

3 Reasons why I recognize Indigenous People’s Day and why I cannot celebrate Columbus Day 2023-10-07T15:14:34-08:00 Rob Dalrymple

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“You cannot discover lands already inhabited.” This is the opening line in Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah’s excellent work, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery.

NB: I interviewed Mark Charles for the determinetruth podcast last year. You can find the episode here.

Should we recognize Indigenous People’s Day or Columbus Day?
Courtesy Najavo Prep School

In the last several posts, I have argued that the US is the Beast of the book of Revelation. This shouldn’t be a hard premise to defend. After all, as I noted, all nations are the Beast.

Sadly, the celebration of Columbus Day and the concomitant reticence to acknowledge Indigenous People’s Day among some evangelicals is a perfect example of the United States’ beastly behavior and why I believe that much of evangelicalism is in bed with the Beast.

3 reasons why we should celebrate Indigenous People’s Day and not Columbus Day

First, regardless of the character and conduct of the indigenous people of this land, they were/are a people made in God’s image and are beings of value who deserve our love, respect, and recognition.

Second, recognizing Indigenous People’s Day is a means of acknowledging that the land upon which the US was established was a land that was occupied. And that the process by which the US expanded throughout this land was largely unjust.

NB: I will discuss the slaughtering of the Native Americans by the US colonial enterprise in a webinar with Dan Hawk on Nov 2, 2023 at 1:00 EST (the video will be posted on the determinetruth YouTube for those reading this after Nov ’23). Here is the registration link for this free webinar.

Third, recognizing Indigenous People’s Day is a necessary act of lament. It forces us to reckon with our own actions and the actions of our American ancestors towards Native Americans.

I suppose that it goes without saying that the Indigenous peoples of this land do not support the celebration of Columbus Day. In fact, The Great Falls Tribune reported that “When asked how the state’s recognition of Columbus Day makes them feel, Indigenous people answered: ‘sad,’ ‘nauseated,’ ‘disgusted,’ ‘disrespected,’ ‘hurt,’ ‘angry,’ ‘unwanted,’ ‘insulted’ and ‘embarrassed.’”

Where are the Indigenous people?

There is another problem with Indigenous People’s Day: there are very few indigenous people left to celebrate it.

Why I cannot celebrate Columbus Day

My reasons for not celebrating Columbus Day have nothing to do with the supposed blessings that the Europeans brought to this land or with Columbus’ espousing of Christianity. Instead, it has everything to do with the ravaging, enslaving, and death that accompanied the explorer’s arrival–though he of course never even made it to the land that would become the US.

Evangelical support for Columbus Day

I am surprised and even grieved by the fact that some Christians take offense at the celebration of Indigenous People’s Day. In an article in the Daily Citizen, which is a publication of Focus on the Family, the claim is made that we should not recognize Indigenous People’s Day because they were barbaric and genocidal.

NB: In case you cannot see the tragic irony in this, let me point it out for you. The argument basically asserts that the colonial settlers of America were justified in their genocidal actions towards the Native Americans because the Native Americans were barbaric and genocidal. Hmm. Does not the slaughtering of the Native Americans confirm that the US government is barbaric and genocidal?

Focus on the Family’s 5 reasons why we should celebrate Columbus Day

The Focus on the Family article not only claimed that we shouldn’t recognize Indigenous People’s Day, but it affirmed the recognition of Columbus Day. Incredulously, the article suggested, “Christopher Columbus is an American hero, and he should remain as such.”

The article presents 5 reasons why we should celebrate Columbus Day:

Columbus personified the American Spirit
Columbus undertook adventure for God and Country
If Columbus is off limits, then so are indigenous peoples
Columbus is innocent of most of the charges against him
Historical figures should be viewed in light of their greatest achievements, not their worst mistakes

Here’s my response to Focus on the Family’s reasonings.

If the American spirit includes ravaging other people’s land, enslaving some, and brutally killing others, then that is something I cannot celebrate.

NB: I do believe in the American spirit and that it is worth celebrating, but not the colonializing, enslaving, and genocidal spirit personified by Columbus.

I suspect that wealth and power were way higher on the list of importance than God and Country. btw, shall I remind you that the Crusaders thought they were acting for God and country?
The problem with this reasoning is that Indigenous People’s Day is not honoring the Native Americans because they were morally upright people who loved Jesus. It is a day to honor them as persons and to recognize that we slaughtered their ancestors and then stole their land.
I love this one. Columbus is innocent of “most” of the charges. Shall I begin to ask, “which ones he is not innocent of?” In addition, it is worth noting that Columbus’ innocence is certainly a matter of debate! In fact, I suspect that we do not have a full understanding of the atrocities Columbus and his men committed in the name of God and country.

NB: this point brings me to the “We are in bed with the Beast” argument that I have made in previous posts. One of the key features of empire is the need to present a narrative that justifies oneself and demonizes one’s enemies. This argument is a prime example. That the argument comes from one of the leading and most respected evangelical voices further justifies my assertion that much of evangelicalism is indeed in bed with the Beast. And if I have not made the point well enough yet, Focus on the Family’s 5th point should resolve this dispute.

I really hope and pray they are not serious here. Unfortunately, I am sure they are. This argument could be applied to any tyrant, dictator, or imperial ruler. Should we laud Hitler for resurrecting the German economy and unifying the German people? Me genoito! (“God forbid”) as Paul would say.

Come out of her my people (Rev 18:4)

To come out of Babylon begins with recognizing how Babylon acts. To expand one’s empire at the expense of the native peoples falls pretty squarely within the definition of Beastly behavior. And to condone it is to be in bed with the Beast.NB: I said in previous posts that I am using Beast and Babylon interchangeably. I fully realize that they are not the same.

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About Rob Dalrymple

Rob Dalrymple is married to his wife Toni and is the father of four fabulous children, and two grandchildren. He has been teaching and pastoring for over 34 years at colleges, seminaries, and the local church. He has a PhD in biblical interpretation. He is the author of four books (including Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation & Understanding the New Testament and the End Times: Why it Matters) as well as numerous articles and other publications. He is currently completing a commentary on the book of Revelation titled, “Revelation: a Love Story” (Cascade Books, pending 2025). You can read more about the author here.

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