‘It’s not your country any more’. Contested national narratives and the Columbus Day parade protests in Denver

Abstract

it's not your country any more'. contested national narratives and the columbus Day parade protests in Denver abStract This article explores long-standing American Indian opposition to Columbus Day in Denver. In 2007, Glenn Morris, a leading activist from the American Indian Movement of Colorado, stated that the rejection of the racist philosophy behind Columbus Day 'may be the most important issue facing Indian country today'. Activism aimed at Columbus Day and the parades is a struggle over identity and historical memory, and Denver forms a distinctive, complex and emotive stage. The ideological nature of American Indian opposition to the holiday is examined and discussed as a blend of patriotic counter-narrative and nationalistic counter-memory. The opposition aims to highlight the historical actions of Columbus, but this is ultimately less important than confronting the way in which a conservative, individualistic myth of Columbus infuses itself into American society and psyche; the crux of activism revolves around the legacy of Columbus and the wider issues of decolonization that this raises. Aims and ScopeWide-ranging in scope, this journal explores how war has affected culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In particular, it emphasizes cultural histories and cultural production as significant forces that have shaped experiences, representations and memories of war. Call for PapersWe invite contributions in the field of cultural history, literary studies, and all forms of visual studies that explore the relationship between war and culture during conflict and its aftermath. Contributions in related aspects of social sciences, and social and political history will also be considered.

Sanitizing history: National identification, negative stereotypes, and support for eliminating Columbus Day and adopting Indigenous Peoples Day.

“…Given the important role that national narratives play in terms of bolstering wellbeing, the messages derived from national narratives are often broadly infused into the cultural fabric of society (Billig, 1995). For example, these narratives are found in history books (Matthews, 2005), reflected in national monuments (i.e., monuments are physical manifestations of a nations’ collective experiences and ideals; for commentary see Donohoe, 2002), and valorized in holiday celebrations (Hitchmough, 2013). The broad reach of these national narratives, however, cannot and should not be taken as evidence that they are “objective” or purely “factual” accounts of history (Anderson, 1983; Gellner & Breuilly, 1983; Hilton & Liu, 2017; Hobsbawm & Ranger, 1992; Roediger & Abel, 2015; Wertsch & Roediger, 2008).…”

Understanding, Examining, and Challenging "Public Displays of History": Preservice Teacher Perceptions, a Case Study

“…Decisions to craft monuments, name schools and streets, place pictures on money, and declare official holidays occur in specific and broad political and social contexts (Hitchmough, 2013;Marschall, 2010;Vanderford, 1996). The decision to fill a public space with a work that recognizes an individual or event requires exclusion of others.…”