BOSTON (WHDH) - A Native American group led protesters through Boston Saturday, calling for the commonwealth to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, as well as ban Native American mascots and team names.
Mahtowin Munro of United American Indians of New England said the change would let residents reflect on the commonwealth’s history in a respectful way.
“Indigenous Peoples Day is a positive day, it’s a day where we can educate, it’s a day when we can talk about the history. not only of Columbus but the history of this area,” Munro said.
“Columbus is not somebody who should be honored any more than Hitler should be honored,” Munro added. “We were not discovered by anybody because we were never lost. He did not bring civilization to us because we already had thousands of civilizations here.”
The march started at Boston Common and proceed to Faneuil Hall to join other protesters, who are demanding Boston remove the name of slave owner and trader Peter Faneuil from the market.
It ended in Christopher Columbus park, which protesters said should also be renamed.
“For Columbus, it’s just such a monstrous man that has caused so much genocide and generational trauma that lasts until this day, that established white supremacy that we’re trying to dismantle,” said protestor Mateo Rojas. “So when I see Columbus it’s celebrating white supremacy it’s not celebrating Columbus.”
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