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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2002

"My wife and I went to the school gym to watch [our daughter] Frances participate in a "Patriotism Assembly," a musical program in which students dressed as figures from American history and, between patriotic songs, stepped up to the microphone and briefly described their role in the building of this great nation.

Scanning the cast of characters through the zoom lens of our video camera, we could discern only one "Indian" among the children assembled on stage. As near as we could tell, Frances, dressed as "Sacagawea," was the only child representing Native America in this glorification of truth, justice and the American way.

Anyway, the concert began, to my utter dismay, with a songful tribute to Christopher Columbus and his "discovery" of a brand New World - MINUS, any Native population at all.

"Christopher Columbus knew what he had to do, to sail the ocean blue! Christopher Columbus DID what he had to do, back in 1492! Chris crossed the ocean blue, back in 1492!"

What's DIS?

Excuse me, but, Columbus didn't discover JACK! Nor Bob, nor Carol, Ted nor Alice!

Are educators STILL perpetuating this disreputable distortion of the truth?"

Get the Story:
Potter Column: Dad finds history lesson lacking (The Billings Gazette 4/20)

Relevant Links:
John Potter - http://hometown.aol.com/indinartist/jpotterhome.html

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