It’s Indigenous People’s Day in Boston, but for BPS, it’s “State Holiday”
For years, students asked the School Committee to rename Columbus Day, with limited success. Now Sociedad Latina asks the Committee to go further and fully fund ethnic studies.
By Alain Jehlen
Today is Indigenous People’s Day in in Boston and many other places.
But on the BPS school calendar, it’s just “State Holiday: No School.”
That designation started last year. According to former School Committee Chair Michael Loconto, it was School Superintendent Brenda Cassellius’ idea.
Before then, of course, it was Columbus Day.
In 2018, Boston Arts Academy sophomores, having learned about Columbus, asked the School Committee to change the holiday’s name to Indigenous People’s Day.
Student Syre Rivers Garcia read some of Columbus’ horrifying writings about conquering and enslaving the people he met, including “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold.”
Former Committee member Miren Uriarte urged the Committee to act on the students’ proposal, but then-Chairman Michael Loconto said he wanted to check whether the Committee had the legal authority to change the name of a state holiday in the BPS calendar.
“I don’t know that I actually agree with it,” he added.
Students make another attempt
Last year, some of the same students, now seniors, came back. They said they were glad the school calendar no longer said “Columbus Day,” but they asked for more.
“We ask now that someone on the Committee who is so moved take up the request and propose Indigenous Peoples’ Day be put on the BPS calendar as the second Monday of October for next year and thereafter.” said student Frida Swallow, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
Former Committee member Lorna Rivera, who had replaced Uriarte, made that motion with support from former Committee member Alexandra Oliver-Dávila. “We cannot celebrate someone who has committed mass genocide and has raped and pillaged and decimated entire communities and tribes,” said Oliver-Dávila.
Chair Loconto’s thinking about Columbus seemed to have evolved. “I’m Italian and I’m a Catholic, [but] I don’t necessarily look to Columbus as a hero of my people,” he said.
The Committee normally acts on motions at the meeting after they are introduced, but that didn’t happen. The school calendar still reads “State Holiday: No School.”
Finally this year, Acting Mayor Kim Janey declared October 14 Indigenous People’s Day.
Sociedad Latina: Fully fund ethnic studies
Claudia Bueno of Sociedad Latina pushed the School Committee last week to go beyond renaming the day and to fully fund ethnic studies.
“The order [to rename the holiday] is easy,” she said. “We need to make sure that students properly understand this complicated and tragic history.
“We know that when history is not taught, it is repeated. The story of US history has been completely one sided. … BPS needs to do better and host indigenous peoples curriculum days and teach-ins.”
