A divide within the Native American community of Chicago took center stage in Rogers Park at what was meant to be a celebration and news conference hosted by the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Coalition-Illinois while green, red and white flags soared in the air downtown as Italian-Americans instead celebrated Columbus Day.
“We want to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Not share. Replace,” said Les Begay, co-founder of the Indigenous Peoples Day Coalition of Illinois.
After a pandemic-borne interruption, the Joint Civic Committee for Italian Americans hosted its annual Columbus Day parade last Monday to a crowd estimated at 20,000 people according to an AP report. But since they last marched along State Street in 2019, the political ground has shifted underneath them. This year, President Joe Biden recognized Indigenous.