In his latest commentary for the conservative Washington Examiner, Christopher Tremoglie is aghast at South Dakota's woke governor, Kristi Noem.
Yes, really.
On Tuesday, the Examiner published Kristi Noem chose to acknowledge Native American Day instead of Columbus Day, in which Columbus defender Tremoglie wrote:
Despite the revisionist history attempts by the Left, the second Monday in October is, and will always be, Columbus Day. Dangerously radical, left-wing cultural Marxists have tried to hijack the holiday and rename it Indigenous Peoples Day. Yet their desperate attempts shouldn't change reality: Such efforts are only effective when people agree to their demands. So it was quite disappointing to see that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, once considered a strong Republican with a bright future, tweeted "Happy Native American Day!" on Oct. 10.
"Happy Native American Day!" Noem's tweet read. "I'm proud of our state's rich Native American heritage. South Dakota sets aside a day each October to recognize that legacy." . . .
South Dakota's Native American history is a noble history of a proud people. No rational human being should have any objection to celebrating their heritage. But there are 364 other days in the year for that. Encroaching on Columbus Day under the guise of appreciating Indigenous culture is done only because of the Left's hatred for our culture and history. Noem's failure to acknowledge anything about Columbus Day was disappointing.
If Noem had any courage or a political spine, she would acknowledge her state's Native American history but also firmly state that Oct. 10 is Columbus Day. It commemorates Columbus's expedition and the discovery of the Western hemisphere by European civilization. It's a date that warrants celebration and honoring because, no matter what one's feelings about Columbus may be, his discovery legitimately changed the course of human civilization.
Anyone acknowledging the second Monday in October as Native American or Indigenous Peoples Day is just surrendering to the Left. They're not honoring a group of people or atoning for the alleged sins of the past. They don't care about American Indians even in the slightest. They are being used and manipulated to validate the Left's demonic hatred of Western civilization. They are being used to amplify the Left's aggressive attacks to topple our country's culture. . . .
Oh the horror! Oh the new and shiny. Oh the failure to do the slightest research about South Dakota.
South Dakota has surrendered to the Left since 1990. In 2014, David Montgomery reported for the Argus Leader in In S.D., it's Native Americans' Day, not Columbus Day:
While much of the rest of the country is celebrating Columbus Day today, in South Dakota the state government, schools and citizens are recognizing a different holiday: Native Americans' Day.
South Dakota is the only state in the country to celebrate today devoted to Native Americans rather than the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus -- and it's done so for a long time.
Why does South Dakota celebrate Native Americans' Day instead of Columbus Day?
Part of it is demographic. Much of the impetus from Columbus Day comes from Italian-Americans, which are not among the biggest ethnic groups in South Dakota. Native Americans are close to 10 percent of South Dakota's population.
It also stems back to a decision by Gov. George Mickelson in the late 1980s to seek "reconciliation" between Natives and whites after historically bad relations. Mickelson asked the Legislature to declare 1990 a "Year of Reconciliation" and to rename Columbus Day as Native Americans' Day. The measure passed unanimously. . . .
And who was this dangerously radical, left-wing cultural Marxist? His 1993 obituary in the New York Times, George Mickelson, 52, Governor Of South Dakota, Dies in a Crash, notes:
Gov. George S. Mickelson of South Dakota, who followed his father's career path from a rural law practice to the state's highest office, died in a plane crash in Iowa on Monday night, a spokesman for his office said. He was 52.
Governor Mickelson was one of eight people killed in the crash about 15 miles southwest of Dubuque as they were returning from a trip to Cincinnati to promote economic development in the state, the spokesman said. Engine trouble was suspected.
Mr. Mickelson was co-chairman of the National Governors Association's task force on health care.
A Republican, Mr. Mickelson was first elected in 1986 and won another four-year term in 1990. He also served six years in the South Dakota House, where he was Speaker in 1979-80.
Lieut. Gov. Walter Dale Miller, who succeeded Governor Mickelson today, vowed to try "to accomplish all he wanted to accomplish for us."
A Home-Grown Style
Mr. Mickelson was the son of George T. Mickelson, who served as South Dakota's Governor from 1947 to 1951.
When he followed his father into the Governor's mansion, he focused on economic development, encouraging manufacturing growth in a state that is more dependent on agriculture than any other sector.
He sought to raise teachers' salaries, among the lowest in the nation, and in 1989 made two record increases in state aid to school districts by setting aside 56 percent of the state's sales tax revenue.
Mr. Mickelson tried to improve relations between Indians and non-Indians in South Dakota, naming 1990 the Year of Reconciliation. Several times he sat with Sioux leaders and smoked the sacred pipe.
He had a home-grown style, often driving a pick-up truck to work. He was a popular member of the South Dakota House for six years, quitting in 1980. ...
Mr. Mickelson was born in Mobridge, S.D., and lived in the eastern South Dakota city of Brookings and the state capital, Pierre. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration and a law degree from the University of South Dakota.
After two years in the Army in Vietnam, he practiced law in Brookings, then served as Brookings County state's attorney and assistant state attorney general. . . .
Without Mr. Tremoglie's perspicuity about Governor Noem's tweet, I'd probably never recognize that earlier governor as a dirty commie and would probably share the sympathies of Bernie Hunhoff in a South Dakota Magazine article, Twenty Years Ago:
Twenty years ago. It hardly seems possible, maybe in part because many of the good deeds inspired by the governor continue to impact the lives of South Dakotans. (We say "inspired" because he would be the first to share credit with his staff, lawmakers, community leaders and the citizens who pay the taxes to make it all possible.) He inspired a resurgence in state pride by presiding over the state's centennial, spent political capital to start the REDI fund, found a permanent funding source for long-overdue water projects, brought environmental regulations out of the 19th century and — perhaps most importantly — worked tirelessly to rebuild relationships between whites and Native Americans after a contentious decade of strife.
Noem turned 19 in 1990, so Bluestem doesn't think she had much to do with establishing Native Americans' Day.
Meanwhile, back in South Dakota, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate and his running mate were participating in Native Americans Day celebrations:
Today when I visited Rosebud Reservation, I was greeted with the gift of a beaded medallion. I will cherish forever.
— Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) October 10, 2022
I had the honor of celebrating Native American Day with the Lakota people as @JenniferKeintz marched in the Native American Day parade in Sioux Falls. pic.twitter.com/sP7LhlnIiF
Perhaps Noem was just reaping the benefit of having a national profile.
Photo: Governor George S. Mickelson.
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