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Why I Don’t Celebrate Independence Day
‘Land of the Free’ is an odd nickname. This country was built on my ancestors’ stolen land.
I no longer celebrate Independence Day. Sure, I love a good slice of apple pie and fireworks, but this holiday is an annual gathering to celebrate a freedom that doesn’t exist. As citizens of the so-called United States, we’ve been told to use specific days that are set aside as opportunities to think about the sacrifices and victories that historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt heroically led. We sing songs about God blessing the U.S.A. and how beautiful America is, from sea to shining sea, but what is erased from the conversation is the genocide and theft of land that simultaneously occurred with the creation of this country that is still happening to this day.
The curriculum used by the American education system was developed to breed patriotism. Remember the Boston Tea Party? “No taxation without representation” is the slogan most associated with this act of protest, which resulted in the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor. The participants, known as the Sons of Liberty, purposely dressed up in Mohawk regalia pieces to symbolize that they no longer recognized themselves as citizens under the rule of the King. According to the Boston Tea Party Historical Society, the image of the “Indian” was used during this time as a symbol of the Patriots’ oppression from King George III and the freedom that these new Americans demanded.
The only time Native people exist in books or in modern mainstream media is in the form of stereotypical, underdeveloped caricatures. For decades, activists and allies have protested the use of Native people as sports mascots, with a good amount of pressure falling on the professional football team in Washington that currently uses a racial slur for their branding. This is just one of the teams that still upholds the use of Indigenous-inspired imagery as part of cheering on athletic performance. This misrepresentation has been allowed for too long on so many levels, going back to the education received in elementary school.
From an early age, we are told there was a peaceful feast shared by the “Pilgrims and Indians” where they sat together as friends to sing songs and love each other. I…
