When Presidents’ Day was celebrated Monday, many did it with a day off and reminders of great men who came before us.
By Paula Quam
The Ojibwa Indians on White Earth Reservation are hoping to change that, as they marked the first ever Chiefs’ Day on Wednesday.
Over 200 people filled the White Earth Community Center for a four-hour celebration of chiefs and ancestors.
He says he wanted to begin a new tradition for the Ojibwa people, which can help instill a sense of history and pride, particularly among their Native youth in Minnesota.
“If we can convey to these young people that hey, it was more than just George Washington, Abe Lincoln or Governor Ramsey, there were chiefs who were involved with setting up treaties that make Minnesota even legal to exist the way it does today,” he says.
For more on the subject, see Happy Presidents Day 2011!
"It would be more interesting if they replaced Presidents' Day with Chiefs' Day, based on the idea that chiefs and presidents are equivalent heads of state."
ReplyDeleteOr even more daring: altering the national holiday into a Presidents and Chiefs Day.
For the sovereign heads of states of the USA.
But want to bet it would be an excuse for used car dealers doing TV ads wearing fake headdresses.
Re "altering the national holiday into a Presidents and Chiefs Day": Right, but I was just thinking of what the Ojibwa could do on their own.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there'd probably be a lot of fake-headdress sales. On the other hand, the president could use the day to raise America's awareness of Indians. And to denounce mascots, hipsters in headdresses, and similar stereotypes.