C.O. celebrates Oregon’s first Indigenous Peoples’ Day with talks on Columbus, Native American history

'He did not discover America -- we were already here, it was heavily populated'

(Update: Adding video, comments from COCC, CRÍID Foundation)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- For the first time, Oregon is joining 10 other states in celebrating Indigenous People’s Day, instead of Columbus Day.

Jefferson Greene, whose tribal name is E’So, is the executive director of the Columbia River Institute for the Indigenous Development Foundation. He said a holiday honoring indigenous people themselves is better than honoring Christopher Columbus.  

“There has been a lot of incredible history that we are still claiming and still sharing and teaching and healing from,” Greene said. 

Oregon lawmakers voted to replace Columbus Day last April, and the Central Oregon Community College Board voted unanimously to recognize the holiday as well.

Michelle Cary, COCC's Native American program coordinator and a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma, said Christopher Columbus isn’t worth celebrating. 

“I think because so many, for lack of a better word, atrocities have come to light in Columbus and his expeditions and his exploitations,” Cary said. 

The college hosted several speakers throughout the day, including Gabriann Hall, a part-time faculty member and a member of the Klamath Tribe.

“He did not discover America -- we were already here, it was heavily populated,” Hall said. 

Her lecture took time at the beginning to discuss Christopher Columbus, but then moved on to discussing the history of the Indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on the boarding school process. 

“The second boarding (school) that was open was right here in Oregon, something that we were really proud of,” Hall said sarcastically.  

“And Natives went to boarding schools to become 'non-Indian.' And this was one of the big selling points that they had. They would take a picture of a ‘savage,’ and then they would show you how they were 'educated' and assimilated.” Hall said. “That’s what the boarding schools did. They took everything that was Indian and literally beat it out of children.”

Green knows education and celebrations are a positive step, but there's still ways to improve.

“The fight is still going," he said. "We still have to have great consideration of our habitat, our water, our air, our animals -- and of course, each other.”

Central Oregon Community College was hosting events and guest speakers throughout the day, discussing the importance of the holiday and education about Christopher Columbus.