Any plans for the holiday weekend?

[Dan Murphy]

Is this common in the USA?

Sadly, I don't think anything as good as that seems to teach history. Feeble attempts in some states, nothing in most, and hampering learning history in some. Here in Illinois, there have been recent teaching laws passed to teach true historical aspects.

 

[kanne323]

It’s extremely common in Canada (my province at least) to have land acknowledgments daily at school, in meetings, government proceedings

For example

Land acknowledgement​

Winnipeg is located in Treaty One Territory, the home and traditional lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), and Dakota peoples, and in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Our drinking water comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, in Treaty Three Territory.


Is this common in the USA?

I think it depends on the state and maybe region. I moved a little over a year ago, and this was definitely not common in the state I moved from (New Jersey) over the past 20 years. Now I live in Maine, and at least in my area, it seems to be something that happens regularly. I do remember hearing land acknowledgements very occasionally growing up in Massachusetts & Connecticut, but that was 20+ years ago, so I hope it's more common now.

 

[tvguy]

gotta ask-when in the world did school start for those whose kids already are getting a fall break? the districts around us have barely been in session for 6 weeks so no breaks until a couple of days at thanksgiving.

District I live in started August 10. About 20 years ago they shifted the start of the school year from the day after Labor Day to early August so that first semester final exams are now the week before Christmas break, not 3 weeks after the kids return in January.
No such thing as fall break here, not that they haven't added weeks off to the schedule since I was in school in the same district.
Thanksgiving week is the first break. Used to be just Thursday and Friday off.
Christmas is still two weeks off like it was when I was in school.
Presidents Day is now a week off. It was one day off when I was in school.
Easter week is still a week off, the week before Easter.

 

[barkley]

First week of August

when do they get out for summer break?

 

[nw6675]

when do they get out for summer break?

Last half of May

 

[slo]

No holiday weekend for us - we’re both working.

 

[ronandannette]

It’s extremely common in Canada (my province at least) to have land acknowledgments daily at school, in meetings, government proceedings

For example

Land acknowledgement​

Winnipeg is located in Treaty One Territory, the home and traditional lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), and Dakota peoples, and in the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Our drinking water comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, in Treaty Three Territory.


Is this common in the USA?

It is basically standard now for public events to be opened in this way. I'm not sure it's a daily thing in schools, although the few I have been inside over the past 5 years or so all have some version of this displayed very prominently


The history books record Englishman John Cabot as being the first Western European "discoverer" of Canada in 1497. To my knowledge, there has never been any national commemoration of this and I doubt many outside Canada would answer it correctly in a trivia contest.

 

[HopperFan]

Too bad really. They should have kept Columbus Day for those that want that and choose another day for native Indian day. More inclusion that way.

WHY? I mean there is no valid reason to keep it as it stands. Let those who wish to celebrate it take a personal day.

Columbus Day is a Federal Holiday for a person who has no connection to this country whatsoever. He never stepped foot in this country. We might as well have a Federal Holiday for Marco Polo because it makes about as much sense.

Now if we are talking in terms of those who celebrate it as Italian-American Day well ... where is German-American, French-American, Indian-American days as Federal Holidays??

FEDERAL Holidays should be reserved for reasons tied to the United States. Honestly even Christmas Day could be problematic. Most companies will have it off regardless of it's Federal status.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Like I said in the Labor Day thread, some of us retired folks make a point of staying home on holidays. So nothing in our household.

Do you have any plans and if so, what?

It has to be a mess for some families. It is not a State Holiday here in California, so schools will be in session, but banks are closed, Federal offices closed, no mail delivery, etc.

I don't want to get into the politics of Columbus but it is still a Federal Holiday as Columbus Day and a State holiday in 16 states. It is a State holiday in 4 other states under other names such as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Its indigenous people day here in Massachusetts and I will be sleeping and relaxing.

 

[tvguy]

when do they get out for summer break?

June 4th here.

 

[tvguy]

Its indigenous people day here in Massachusetts and I will be sleeping and relaxing.

I like the term Canada uses....."First Nation".

 

[fla4fun]

26th anniversary, but DH will be working!

Happy Anniversary! I hope you are able to spend some quality time together even if he does have to work.

 

[georgina]

There is actually a Native American Day. The 4th Friday of September.

Not a generally known though, certainly not a federal holiday. I just googled 'Native American day' and it first came up Oct 9, 2023. Wikipedia did say California and Nevada have the 4th Friday in Sept designated.

 

[disneychrista]

Not a generally known though, certainly not a federal holiday. I just googled 'Native American day' and it first came up Oct 9, 2023. Wikipedia did say California and Nevada have the 4th Friday in Sept designated.

I only know about it because the California courts (where I am employed) have it off in lieu of Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day.

 

[barkley]

not a holiday but all of november is national native american heritage month in the u.s. it's a month full of events, performances, learning opportunities and gatherings in our region.

 

[jimmymc]

No day off, but I'll work from home like I do every Monday.

 

[tcufrog]

DS16 has a 5-day weekend so we are visiting Boston to look at colleges. We fly back on Tuesday.

 

[fab1976]

I like the term Canada uses....."First Nation".

We actually use indigenous people, with tribes making up that group of people. I believe there’s more, but the ones I know off hand are Métis, Inuit, and First Nations. So we too use that term, but it isn’t an overall blanket for indigenous people. I also feel I butchered that explanation, but wanted to explain First Nations is a tribe, not a general descriptor.

Also, land acknowledgments are part of morning announcements at all schools in the area I’m in, just outside Toronto. While it’s good, and it’s a great step to reconciliation, I feel (know) the kids don’t always listen to it. I had a conversation about it with kids just this past week, referring to what the bands were known as in our area. They don’t quite get that connection in the elementary level.

 

[SirDuff]

I like the term Canada uses....."First Nation".

First Nations is a very specific group. The umbrella term is Indigenous (and also includes Metis and Inuit).

 

[SirDuff]

We actually use indigenous people, with tribes making up that group of people. I believe there’s more, but the ones I know off hand are Métis, Inuit, and First Nations. So we too use that term, but it isn’t an overall blanket for indigenous people. I also feel I butchered that explanation, but wanted to explain First Nations is a tribe, not a general descriptor.

Also, land acknowledgments are part of morning announcements at all schools in the area I’m in, just outside Toronto. While it’s good, and it’s a great step to reconciliation, I feel (know) the kids don’t always listen to it. I had a conversation about it with kids just this past week, referring to what the bands were known as in our area. They don’t quite get that connection in the elementary level.

Sorry, I didn't see you had already explained this.

I don't think, however, that First Nations is a tribe. I think it's a collection of tribes and bands (e.g. Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree), and Dakota peoples - from the Land Acknowledgement above). I'm not totally clear on the distinction between tribe and band (I think band is usually a subset of a tribe).