Let’s appreciate treasure of Indigenous Americans

When will we learn to broaden the narrow, destructive lens of European history?

Let’s be real, much of what we think we know about the past has been, and is still, largely piggybacked on privileged white patriarchy often Christianized. From within our society to the very education our school’s virtually indoctrinate our children with, the ageold superiority complex still lurks.

Did you know that a century before Columbus violently stole the limelight, Spanish, black and Middle Eastern Muslims arrived in America with peace? The insensitive hypocrisy has to end.

Instead of covering up atrocities and guilt through quickfix distractions and sensational language, let’s administer the medicine of sparing time in our lives and classrooms to truly appreciate the treasure of Indigenous Americans, their experience, history, culture, and, dare I say, religion from their perspective.

I promise it will be an enlightening and humbling experience. Perhaps one day we’ll do the same with other minorities after realizing that we, too, are a piece of America’s fabric, in more ways than what meets Google search results.

As an Ahmadi Muslim American teacher and double minority, I recognize that the healing liberation in replacing dangerously entitling facades like Columbus Day with reformative truths like Indigenous People’s Day is just the start.

Zahir Mannan, Middletown, Keigwin Middle School substitute teacher