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Legislature considers new holiday honoring Indians

By PHILLIP RAWLS
The Associated Press
02/14/00 1:19 AM Eastern

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Christopher Columbus, who's credited with
discovering America, may have to share his state holiday with the folks who
beat him here -- the Indians.

The Alabama Senate could consider legislation this week that would
designate the second Monday in October for double duty as Columbus Day and
American Indian Heritage Day.

"Some Indian people feel the history books don't give the full story when
they say Columbus discovered America. How can you discover people who
are already here?" said Darla Graves, executive director of the Alabama
Indian Affairs Commission.

Sen. Jimmy Holley, D-Elba, and Rep. Jeff Dolbare, D-Bigbee, are sponsoring
holiday bills at the request of the Indian Affairs Commission. Holley's bill
got approved last week by the Senate Governmental Affairs Commission,
which put it in line for Senate consideration.

Holley, who serves on the Indian Affairs Commission, said members felt
the Indians in Alabama were long overdue for recognition by the state. By
placing American Indian Heritage Day on a day that's already a state holiday, it
won't cost the state government any additional money, he said.

Graves said it would also give Indians a reason to celebrate a holiday that
some now feel uncomfortable about.

It wouldn't be the first time Alabama has done that. The same thing happened
in 1984 when the Legislature decided the recognize the birthday of slain
civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on the third Monday in January,
which was already a state holiday honoring the birthday of Confederate
Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Plenty of Alabamians can trace their roots to Alabama's early inhabitants.
Graves said that in the 1980 census, more than 165,000 Alabamians said
they had Indian ancestry. Today, the state has seven active Indian tribes --
three Creek, three Cherokee and one Choctaw -- with more than 40,000
members.

So far, the idea for the holiday has not generated any opposition, and Graves
is optimistic it will pass. "It's one of those feel-good kind of things," she
said.
 

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