Regarding the story about the city of Durango recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day over Columbus Day (Herald, Jan. 8): This is an unjust move. The city is taking away my heritage and tradition as a descendent of native European-American people of the Americas, and giving it to somebody else. It is taking something I had and giving others something they didn’t.

I grew up with Columbus Day like every American, and now it is taken away? I was robbed of part of my life and childhood.

It is meaner to take something and leave a person empty than to just not give something to a person that they never had.

They could have the Indian day on another day.

Columbus is an Italian American hero, so you are robbing them also. Plus his ship, the Santa Maria, means Saint Mary. That’s the Virgin Mary mother of God, so as a Catholic I feel offended also. I am sure the Knights of Columbus have done a lot for this town, now robbed of their patron’s holiday.

This is a cruel and mean and rude thing, and I think there should be a law against this inhumane propaganda lie. I am sick now.

Colin Burhart-Wilson

Bayfield