The other day, my boss came to me and told me to write something for Innovators Peak on Independence Day. So, of course, I went through the typical brainstorm and came up with some ideas:
-10 Things to Do in Denver this Fourth of July
-7 Innovative Ideas for Your Fourth of July Barbecue
-Best Spots to Watch Fireworks in Colorado this Weekend
-Top 10 Ways You Might Blow Your Head Off with Fireworks this Saturday
What are we, BuzzFeed? Actually, that last one probably could have been pretty cool—but sometimes, just sometimes, I like to think that we can be a little bit better than listicles every holiday. So what’s something that we never really think about on Independence Day that we probably should? Let’s go back to the basics and see what we can find.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
That’s what the men who signed that document were declaring. It was a victorious day—and now every Fourth of July we celebrate it with barbecues, fireworks, those Budweiser cans with the American flags on them, picnics, and family reunions.
Let freedom ring, amirite? For many, I suppose. But what about for those who were not created equal by the old white guys who wrote that declaration? What about the Africans that they brought over involuntarily as slaves? Better yet—what about those that were native to this land and had it pulled out from under them by these guys?
Looks like a diverse bunch, right? Photo
As far as I’ve read, many experts believe that Native Americans should view this holiday as a celebration of freedom for a few who hold power and privilege over many.
“To honor the birth of America, they say, is to celebrate the death of many tribal nations, to pay homage to a conqueror and abandon our indigenous perspective,” wrote Mark Anthony Rolo, an Ojibwe writer for the Chicago Tribune,15 years ago on July 4, 2000.
That sounds reasonable. As a nation that was founded on, celebrates, and even preaches the idea that all men are created equal, it should be a matter of concern if a significant portion of our population feels this way as we continue to brush it under the rug.
That’s what the experts say. I was curious to find out how this population actually feels, if any way at all, about hallowing a day that can largely be regarded as one where the colonists secured their ownership over a land that was never rightfully theirs.
Jay Grimm is a member of the Native American community here in Denver—the Navajo tribe, to be specific. He also served as the Executive Director of the Denver Indian Center and has some interesting insights and takes on the whole issue of how Native Americans feel about the Fourth of July.
“American Indians love this country—we’re great keepers of it, we’re great protectors of it,” he told us. “It is part of our culture to protect this land.”
He described for us this natural “warrior mentality” that inhabits the American Indian people and makes it integral to their beliefs to do whatever they can to protect their home—regardless of whoever is seen as having any sort of technical ownership over it.
This largely contributes to the fact that more American Indians serve in the Armed Forces than any other ethnicity per capita. They feel that they are defenders of a land that is something much larger than just a 200-some year old country—and that’s why, for Jay, he takes no offense from Independence Day celebrations.
“With anything, you’re going to have people who are hardline thinkers about a particular thing,” Grimm said, “Of course in our community we have people who are resistant and focused on the discrimination of our people […] I don’t recall being around any particular movement that was blocking the Fourth of July parade, which is interesting because that is different for Columbus Day where you’ll see a different approach, but I don’t see the parallel between the two.”
Columbus. And why he was terrible.
It’s becoming less and less of a secret that Christopher Columbus wasn’t all that great of a guy. He did, in fact, do a whole lot more for the destruction of the indigenous culture than most others—rape, genocide, theft, torture—you name it. He also initiated the theft of the Native Americans’ land. But if you think about it like that, it kind of seems like Columbus started it and our forefathers in 1776 just carried it out. So why would people be enraged over Columbus Day but not Independence Day? It’s not always so cut and dry.
On the Fourth of July, although there was a lot of taking away from the American Indians to follow, it was also a day that they started getting some of that culture, which Columbus took, back. The Fourth of July was a day when Americans allowed the natives to celebrate their ceremonies. In the early 1800s, American Indians naturally started celebrating the Fourth of July because it was a time for them to engage in some of their own traditions.
It became a day of both freedom and unification among the entire land and nation.
“We’re still the original keepers of the land,” Grimm said, “and as long as we’re here, we’ll defend it.”
Painting by Kevin Red Star.
Since the birth of America, they’ve fought side by side with Americans in every war and been involved in every military campaign on behalf of the land. Regardless of politics, they’re here.
“It’s a reminder of where we’ve been, where this country’s been” he said, “and for native people it’s a reminder that we’ve got to continue to progress if we’re equal in warfare and there protecting it then we should be equal in all of our social levels.”
Of course, it’s not always so deep either—who doesn’t just want to enjoy barbecues and fireworks while being surrounded with friends and family? For Cheryl Crazy Bull, a Sicangu Lakota native who has worked an entire career in Native American education, that’s what the day is all about.
“Many American Indians view holidays like that as a celebration of colonialism or imperialism,” she said, “but at the same time, Native people really like family gatherings and celebrations. You’ll see people celebrating, but they’re not necessarily celebrating for the same reasons others might be.”
Some people take these types of things more seriously than others. For most, it’s just a great day to enjoy a cold beer, see your family, maybe discuss the history of it and what it means to you, all while enjoying the day off and celebrating the fact that we’ve all made it here together.
“We’re still here, we’re thriving, and we all have something to offer for the fabric of this country,” said Grimm.
Happy Independence Day.
By Joseph Afton
