Here are lessons, books, and films for teaching the truth about Columbus and Indigenous Peoples’ history.
Learn more at the Abolish Columbus Day campaign page.
Lessons
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![]() Re-reading the Past How to engage students in a critical analysis of the textbook version of “discovery.” |
![]() Role play in the form of a trial to determine who is responsible for the death of millions of Taínos on the island of Hispaniola in the late 15th century. Roles available in Spanish. |
![]() Removal Role Play Role play on the Cherokee-Seminole removal or Trail of Tears. |
![]() the “Children of the Forest” A lesson in which students develop critical literacy skills by responding to Andrew Jackson’s speech on “Indian Removal.” |
![]() A Role Play on the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change A role play that asks students to develop a list of demands to present to the rest of the world at a climate change meeting. |
![]() A role play that helps students recognize the issues at stake in the historic struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux to block construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. |
Articles
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![]() No Monuments for Murderers Why we should challenge the fundamental structures of ownership, power, and privilege that have given us such a skewed constellation of heroes and holidays. |
![]() Discusses Indigenous Peoples’ Day campaigns and the resistance/challenges to overcome. |
![]() Fought for Justice Brief bios of people of Italian heritage who were committed to social justice.
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![]() 1960s to Present Brief overview and Native American activism since the late 1960s. |
Books
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Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years Readings and lessons for grades 5 to 12 about the impact and legacy of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas. |
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“All the Real Indians Died Off”: And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans Deconstructs persistent myths about American Indians rooted in fear and prejudice—an astute and lively primer of European-Indian relations. |
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Christopher Columbus and the Conquest of Paradise Very detailed, with extensive quotes from far-ranging original sources. Links Columbus’s legacy to environmental degradation. |
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Columbus: His Enterprise A biography that gives a true account of Columbus’ life and voyages. |
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An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States Four hundred years of Native American history from a bottom-up perspective. |
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A People’s History of the United States A groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details lives and facts rarely included in textbooks—an indispensable teacher and student resource. |
![]() An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People |
Films and Podcasts
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![]() Contrasting views and scenes from the classroom on teaching about Columbus.
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![]() Columbus in America
Documentary on the symbol of Columbus in the United States and the campaign for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. |
![]() As a crew shoots a film about Columbus’ genocide, local people in Cochabamba, Bolivia rise up against plans to privatize the water supply.
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Native American history through the eyes of Native American children.
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An 1839 assassination of a Cherokee leader and a 1999 murder case – two crimes nearly two centuries apart provide the backbone to an upcoming 2019 Supreme Court decision that will determine the fate of five tribes and nearly half the land in Oklahoma.
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More at the Zinn Education Project
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Many of these resources are featured in the Abolish Columbus Day packet which is available to download. The 14-page packet includes articles, sample resolutions, and a poster. Read more at www.zinnedproject.org/abolish.