Today is Columbus Day in the U.S., the day Americans commemorate the "discovery" of America by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492 How many of you remember the little classroom rhyme -- in fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue?. Of course, Christopher Columbus never really "discovered" North America - he only discovered it from the viewpoint of the Europeans. The Native Americans, after all, were here long before Christopher Columbus accidently stumbled into the Caribbean while looking for a spice route to the East Indies.

A grass roots movement has been working for years to discontinue Columbus Day as a federal holiday and bring about a national holiday for Native Americans instead. Several states, including South Dakota, have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it is not federally recognized. We do, however, celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month in November, to embrace the history and culture of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Related:
The Origins of Christopher Columbus
Tracing Indian Ancestry
Researching Your Family Tree in Italy