10/15/2024
Did you know today is Indigenous Peoples Day? What does that mean to you as Americans in this great country?
As Italian-Americans we take immense pride in our Italian heritage and foods. Growing up, Columbus was celebrated as a hero in our Italian communities. We were proud of his brave voyage across the sea. Yet, thats just one side of the story, isn’t it? Now we are aware of the complexity of his profound “discovery.” We now are compelled to acknowledge the suffering and sacrifice of the original stewards and first people of this amazing landscape.
In the late 1800s, my hardworking, scrappy immigrant grandparents fled from their own version of oppression and were then shunned in America for being lowly Italians. In school, we were bullied for smelling like garlic and salami. 🤣 In hindsight we now see at the same time we felt discriminated against, we were still in a position of privilege to have access to land in the Walla Walla Valley that supported our farming ancestors and produced the sweetest onion in the world!
We often found arrow heads down by the rivers and told stories of the Indians... A story parallel, on the same lands, yet misunderstood and unknown to the society-at-large. The experience of the Native Americans in this case had unequal access to land and therefore generational wealth or opportunities.
This very simple acknowledgment is not meant as an expression of political favor but as an attempt to shine a light on our shared humanity and responsibilities to uphold the dignity and lands of the First Peoples of this continent. You have always deserved better.
❤️ 🕊️ ( -Violet Locati )