Italian Americans and Native Americans in Chicago open dialogue about Columbus Day controversies ahead of Monday's parade

CHICAGO (WLS) – Ahead of Monday's Columbus Day Parade, Italian Americans and Native Americans in Chicago are trying to come together to open a dialogue about the controversy that has surrounded the holiday for years.

The two groups are trying to bridge the gap when it comes to Columbus Day celebrations. The debate over the history surrounding the holiday has been going on for years, and the same day is now also recognized as Indigenous Peoples Day.

“We are all Americans, we all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, and we must educate people about the importance of each individual’s culture,” said Frank Black Cloud, vice president of the Native American Guardian Association.

Frank Black Cloud and more than 20 other members of his North Dakota tribe traveled to Chicago this weekend to ally with Italian Americans on Columbus Day. They gathered for a flag-raising ceremony at Daley Plaza on Friday to honor Italian culture and Native American history.

“Today it is very important that some talk but everyone listens, and that is what this whole weekend and especially Monday is about,” said Ron Onesti, Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.

On Monday, the North Dakota group will join Chicagoans in the 72nd annual Columbus Day Parade along State Street between Wacker and Van Buren. But another organization, the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, opposes the celebration.

“Nothing against the Italian Americans, our brothers and sisters there; but it’s just the name,” said Matthew Beaudet of the Montaukett Nation.

They said the history of Christopher Columbus' mistreatment of Native Americans casts a shadow over the holiday.

“In his own words, it is undisputed: he was a slave trader, on the very first day he brought six natives back to the king and said, 'I have brought you six slaves,'” Beaudet said. “It’s in his diary; his words, not mine.”

The dialogue will continue before the holiday. The parade begins at noon Monday on State Street and will be broadcast on ABC7.