Primary Mission
In honor of all American Indians; past, present and future
Founded in 1993
In honor of all American Indians; past, present and future
Founded in 1993
NOT BLACK FRIDAY!
Congress is considering making the day after Thanksgiving the day to
honor American Indians.
The day after Thanksgiving is not acceptable as a holiday for American Indians. First of all, Americans are so wrapped up and excited about getting big savings for Christmas shopping that they are not going to pay much attention to anything else. The news will still be about the shopping frenzies. It's about the money! It is a day when Americans are out of town or have company from out of town and are miserable from over-eating the day before and want to do nothing but watch football!
American Indians deserve a true holiday in their honor, but not on Black Friday!
Anyone who works for recognition of American Indians is to be commended, but sometimes it is worse to settle for anything less than the real thing than having nothing at all.
With all due respect to those working for the day after Thanksgiving, I don't think that we should "cop out" by accepting such a compromise. Our ancestors have done that time after time and what has it done for us?
The only result that I foresee for such a compromise is that it will torpedo our efforts to establish a real holiday.
We need legislation passed that will create a true holiday with all the privileges that go with any other national holiday.
Our leaders either need to "bite the bullet", ignoring big business and establish a new holiday, or abolish Columbus Day and establish a new holiday on a different date. We suggest the third Monday in March.
The criteria for picking the date should be that it is a day heretofore insignificant to any ethnic group, during a time when school is in session, on a Monday or Friday, and not a day adjacent to or related to any other holiday. This day shall not abolish, supersede, or take the place of any similar state or tribal holiday that is already established.
Anything less than this is simply "sweeping our people under the rug" again.
It is wonderful that some people want to do something for our people. We have been trying to do this since 1993.
The problem is this. Making Black Friday a day to supposedly honor our people will amount to nothing more than the signing a piece of paper, creating a few plaques with words scratched on them and a short celebration which will soon be forgotten with time.
It will not provoke the celebrations, the desired education of non Indians, or the tourism.
I would hope that the people working for recognition on the day after Thanksgiving would partner with us in the quest for true recognition for our people.
Please write your congressmen immediately and ask them to make some other date a true national holiday!
The day after Thanksgiving is not acceptable as a holiday for American Indians. First of all, Americans are so wrapped up and excited about getting big savings for Christmas shopping that they are not going to pay much attention to anything else. The news will still be about the shopping frenzies. It's about the money! It is a day when Americans are out of town or have company from out of town and are miserable from over-eating the day before and want to do nothing but watch football!
American Indians deserve a true holiday in their honor, but not on Black Friday!
Anyone who works for recognition of American Indians is to be commended, but sometimes it is worse to settle for anything less than the real thing than having nothing at all.
With all due respect to those working for the day after Thanksgiving, I don't think that we should "cop out" by accepting such a compromise. Our ancestors have done that time after time and what has it done for us?
The only result that I foresee for such a compromise is that it will torpedo our efforts to establish a real holiday.
We need legislation passed that will create a true holiday with all the privileges that go with any other national holiday.
Our leaders either need to "bite the bullet", ignoring big business and establish a new holiday, or abolish Columbus Day and establish a new holiday on a different date. We suggest the third Monday in March.
The criteria for picking the date should be that it is a day heretofore insignificant to any ethnic group, during a time when school is in session, on a Monday or Friday, and not a day adjacent to or related to any other holiday. This day shall not abolish, supersede, or take the place of any similar state or tribal holiday that is already established.
Anything less than this is simply "sweeping our people under the rug" again.
It is wonderful that some people want to do something for our people. We have been trying to do this since 1993.
The problem is this. Making Black Friday a day to supposedly honor our people will amount to nothing more than the signing a piece of paper, creating a few plaques with words scratched on them and a short celebration which will soon be forgotten with time.
It will not provoke the celebrations, the desired education of non Indians, or the tourism.
I would hope that the people working for recognition on the day after Thanksgiving would partner with us in the quest for true recognition for our people.
Please write your congressmen immediately and ask them to make some other date a true national holiday!
Paul M. Allen
President
© 2008-2011 The Council
For American Indian Recognition