[ *The cancellation of the Columbus Day parade in Denver was first reported to me by Carroll Avon Watkins Weaver (an African-American protestor and Ph.D. student/candidate at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado) on the evening of 10 October 1992.]
[ *A second report came from a U.S. government short wave broadcast station--Voice of America. In it's "VOA Monday Morning" broadcast to Africa, the VOA acknowledged that unlike in 1892, in 1992 the celebration of Columbus Day is subject to protest by Native Americans and others, and the VOA went on to report that the Columbus Day parade in Denver, Colorado was called off on account of protest by Native Americans and others. This broadcast presented a strong clear AM signal to a TOSHIBA boom-box with a short rabbit-ear dipole antenna in Dallas, Texas on Monday, 12 October 1992 at approximately 00:30 CDT/5:30 UTC on 6.95 MHz.]
"The day marking the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' landing in the Americas got as much attention Monday from Indians who were mourning Europe's conquest of the New World as it did for traditional celebrations of the voyage. Thousand of people crowded into a huge communal Indian gathering in Boston to watch dance exhibition, eat raccoon stew and corn bread and mingle with descendants of the people who lived in Massachusetts 9,000 years before the Pilgrims landed. "The whole event is to emphasize the point that we're not celebrating 500 years of discovery for people who didn't need to be discovered," said Jeremy Alliger, director of Dance Umbrella, a co-sponsor of the powwow."* *The Dallas Morning News, Tuesday, 13 October 1992, p14A, article titled "Indian events add facet to Columbus Day ceremonies."
"About 20,000 Mexicans, many dressed in bright Indian costumes, filled the central plaza Monday to mourn the deaths of millions of Indians in the 500 years since the Spanish arrived in the New World. ..."* *The Dallas Morning News, Tuesday, 13 October, 1992, p1A, article titled "Refusing to celebrate: Indigenous peoples take ceremonies, chants to Columbus Day protest in Mexico City."
"Some Americans celebrated the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival Monday, while others criticized the explorer's legacy of destruction of native cultures--and occasionally, the 2 sides locked horns. In Columbus, Ohio, the largest city in the world named for the explorer, only about 2 blocks separated the opposing viewpoints. An afternoon ceremony celebrating the explorer's arrival was planned aboard a full-scale replica of the Santa Maria, 1 of Columbus' 3 ships, docked on the Scioto River. Nearby in a park, about 100 people showed up for a memorial service held by American Indian groups for those victimized by the European arrival in the Americas. "We want to get the word out about some of the atrocities committed by Columbus--genocide, slavery ... and the taking of women," says Ken Irwin, executive director of the Ohio Indian Movement and the Ohio Council of Native American Burial Rights. A few blocks also separated the 2 sides in Chicago, where native Americans were invited to join the downtown parade, but an anti-Columbus group planned an alternative march. In San Francisco, chanting demonstrators gathered Sunday at the waterfront and anchored 5 sailboats offshore to block a re-enactment of Columbus'arrival. The re-enactment never took place. ..."* *Prodigy interactive personal services, under the headline--"Columbus Day Celebrations--And Protests--Continue" distributed via modem to computer subscribers on 12 October 1992.
"In contrast to proud celebrations elsewhere of Columbus's voyage to the Americas, Indians in Mexico and Central America are marking the 500th anniversary with anger. For them, the arrival of the Europeans signalled the beginning of half a millennium of destruction, genocide and repression that continues to this day. Throughout the region, indigenous groups have planed marches and strikes leading up to the Oct 12 anniversary. The demonstrations are led by a group with the confrontational name, 500 Years of Resistance."* *Prodigy interactive personal services, under the headline--"For Indians, Columbus Day Marks "500 years of Resistance"," distributed on 12 October 1992.
"Philadelphia police say protesters dressed in traditional Native American garb tossed red paint Sunday at a new monumnent honoring Christopher Columbus. ... The incident occurred hours before the monument was to be dedicated at the close of the city's Columbus Day observance. The Columbus Day celebration has been criticized by Native American groups for glorifying the event that led to Europe's bloody conquest of the New World. Native Americans also were upset when Philadelphia's City Council changed the name of Delaware Avenue to Columbus Avenue earlier this year. The street that runs along the city's waterfront originally was named after the Delaware Indians."* *Prodigy interactive personal services, under the headline--"Protestors Toss Paint at New Columbus Monument," distributed on 12 October 1992.
"With the celebration of Columbus Day on Monday, Native Americans on campus have been voicing a different side of the story of Columbus' arrival on the shores of America. "I think that Columbus Day is certainly not what it was meant to be in the past," Robert Beuford, a member of the Native American Intertribal Council, said. "I'd like people to see what's going on and understand that Colubus Day is more significant and has a different meaning to Native Americans." About 40 members of the SMU community participated in a vigil Monday night on the steps of Dallas Hall sponsoredby the Native American Intertribal Council. They discussed the hardships American Indians have faced since Columbus arrived. Voyce Durling-Jones, Choctaw-Cherokee descendant and Dallas resident, sang a song during the vigil entitled "O Ha Le" which means "I am waiting for the change." She said she is waiting for people to admit what happened, offer a true apology and treat American Indians and their culture with respect. Native Americans have been mistreated for 500 years, she said. Until 1978, Native Americans living in the United States were not even allowed to practice their native religon. ..."* *"Vigil promotes cultural awareness" by Kelly Baisden, contributor to The Daily Campus (SMU community newspaper), p. 1, Wednesday, 14 October 1992.