Happy Indigenous Peoples Day, Leif Erikson Day, and Columbus Day! MRFF Board Member John Compere gives us a history lesson on the discovery of our American continent.

“COLUMBUS DAY” is an annual federal holiday created in 1971 and observed on the 2nd Monday in October (October 13 this year) recognizing the arrival of Columbus in the Americas. The United States, Texas and other states also officially recognize and observe “INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY” on this date. Another related observance in some parts of the country is Leif Erikson Day.

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492 as the third discoverer. The original discoverers came from Beringia in Russia’s eastern Siberia, traveling across a prehistoric land bridge on the Bering Straight into Alaska, migrating south and inhabiting the American continent as its indigenous people at least 20,000 years before Columbus. Next came the Vikings or Norsemen by sea from northern Europe led by Leif Erikson, discovering this continent and colonizing the northeastern coast of America during the 10th Century. 

The descendants of the first two discoverers have always sought recognition of the earlier arrivals of their ancestors. They were the original discoverers and believe they should be so recognized. Therefore, any holidays, observances, celebrations, monuments, tributes, etc honoring the later arrival of Columbus would be more historically accurate by including our indigenous people and Leif Erikson.

Columbus was searching for a western trade route by sea to the Orient for the Spanish Crown. He believed by sailing west he would reach India or China. After landing in the Caribbean Islands of the Americas, Columbus mistakenly believed it was the Indies in the Indian Ocean off India and misidentified the inhabitants he observed as “Los Indios” (The Indians). It was not the Indies and the natives were not Indians. Columbus made subsequent voyages to the Americas in 1493, 1498 and 1502 but continued to believe it was eastern Asia until his death in 1506.

It is historically noteworthy that “Columbia”  was first used by southern Europeans to describe the America continent. It originated from the name of explorer Columbus with the ending “ia”  added which was used in early Latin names of countries (e.g. “Britannia”). 

The New World became “America” a few years later after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer, made several voyages to the Americas from 1497 to 1507. Vespucci even assisted his friend Columbus in preparing for the latter’s second voyage, but believed Columbus was wrong about reaching Asia. Vespucci was convinced and claimed the “New World”, an entirely separate continent previously unknown, had been discovered. He was the first to prepare an official map of this new land and sea routes to it. 

In 1507, German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller prepared and published a widely circulated globular world map using information from Vespucci which first showed the continent separate from Asia and named the new continent “America” in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. Thereafter, other European mapmakers began using the name “America” for the new land.

Today, the American continent consists of three main geographical areas known as North America (Canada, United States and Mexico), Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) and South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela). Modern usage of the terms “America” and “Americans” refers to the United States of America and its citizens.

We continue to misname our Native people “Indians” disregarding, disdaining and disrespecting their ancestry as well as their historical, geographical and cultural origin. They are America’s indigenous people, Native Americans or original Americans who have served honorably in the US Armed Forces for over a century, including the Navajo Code Talkers who developed an unbreakable code that helped Allied forces win World War II. They are traditionally referred to as “American Indians” although it is a misnomer. They are not from India or its Indies. “Indians” are from India and not ancient Siberia. “It does not take many words to speak the truth.” – Chief Joseph (Native American leader and Spokesman of the Nez Perez).

In addition to recognizing the third discovery of our American continent by Columbus, it is important that the original discoverers, our Native people, be recognized as well as the second discoverer, Leif Erikson. Happy Indigenous Peoples Day, Leif Erikson Day and Columbus Day!

John Compere
Brigadier General, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Texas rancher