Isn’t Columbus Day or Indigenous people day, the story of all Americans? From Black Americans to Native Americans and beyond—communities that have endured suffering and injustice but also achieved remarkable progress. Shouldn’t we recognize how far we’ve come, instead of focusing solely on the struggles of the past? Is it fair to teach only the narrative of pain to people, especially children, who may not yet understand the full history? They deserve to know about the progress we’ve made as well—the legislative victories, the policies enacted, and the collective efforts of the American people to right past wrongs.

The fear many minorities feel today comes from hearing only part of the story—the part about suffering. But America’s history is also filled with moments of justice, growth, and redemption. No nation is perfect, and neither is America. However, we are a country that has taken meaningful steps to address and correct our mistakes — unlike, for example, France which forced Haiti to buy itself out of slavery, or Great Britain which practically ran the slave trade for 200 years, and yet to this day neither have even seriously considered making amends for their actions.

The Native American community deserves to be honored for their resilience, strength, and progress. Yet, reducing them to victims trapped in history does them a disservice. Instead, we should celebrate their achievements and the ways they’ve shaped this nation long after Columbus set foot on these shores. Their story is one of endurance, transformation, and triumph, and that is the story we need to tell — not one of only suffering.