"Increasingly anti-Indian" parade

Denver is asked to join objections to Columbus Day parade contentThe city of Denver is gearing up for its annual pre-Columbus Day parade Oct. 11, an event that has placed Colorado’s capital squarely at the epicenter of a recurring debate about the Columbian legacy and the character of Christopher Columbus himself.

This year, the city-appointed Denver American Indian Commission appealed to Denver’s mayor and city council to support its concern about the parade’s content, which the commission said has become “increasingly anti-Indian.”

During the last decade in Denver, hundreds of arrests have occurred, hundreds of jail cells have been filled and hundreds of thousands of city dollars have been spent over street conflicts between city police and those who regard the use of the name “Columbus” for the parade as a tribute to the initiator of ethnic cleansing in Native North America and as a celebration of conquest.

Currently, the Native group has cited the past inclusion of horsemen dressed as U.S. Cavalry members and the possibility they would be a part of this year’s parade, as well.This year's protest plan:Planned events this year by Native and other groups include a summit to be held Oct. 11 at Iliff School of Theology after a march to the state Capitol organized by the American Indian Movement-–Colorado and the Transform Columbus Day Alliance. The summit is expected to cover indigenous issues and to involve various activist groups.Comment:  The parade supposedly celebrates Columbus and the heritage of Italian Americans. What possible excuse was there for having marchers dressed as US Cavalry soldiers? It seems the parade organizers inadvertently revealed their real agenda: asserting the superiority of Western civilization.