Today is Native American day in South Dakota. South Dakota is one of two states that recognize NA Day and not list it as Columbus Day. It remains to be seen whether the other states will eventually recognize NA day but until they do I am hard pressed to explain their reticence for a change. Columbus did nothing that had not already been done before and in fact did not do it as well. His avowed reason for the voyage, to find a new way to China, had already been found and in essence his hidden agenda was more natural resources for the Portugese King and Queen. Instead of finding the hidden pathway Columbus instead introduced venereal diseases, smallpox, measles and a host of other problems that the people in that part of the world had no antidote for nor strength to fight against.

Maybe one day the Euro-centric view of colonization and its attendant ill effects will be brought to light and native people given their due as having crafted civilizations, tools, art, language and basic technology tools centuries before the 3 little ships left the harbor in 1492. Until then we'll stumble along believing another fairy tale as historic fact.