Though Greenland has been home-ruled since 1979, on June 21, 2009, the Danish government made steps toward granting Greenland full independence. In a 2008 referendum, 76% of the 58,000 residents of the sparsely populated island voted for self-rule and the Danish government has been handing over control of services to the local government and making symbolic changes, like changing the official language to Kalaallisut (the Inuit language of most Greenlanders) and renaming the country Naalakkersuisut.
Every schoolchild has at least a vague awareness of Greenland, that conspicuously white island (decidedly not green) near the top of most globes. According to Eiríks saga rauða (the saga of Eric the Red) and Íslendingabók (the book of Icelanders), the name was chosen to attract settlement by promoting Greenland as an attractive place to live.
Although part of the North American Tectonic plate, Eurocentric models of North American discovery either credit Columbus or Bjarni Herjólfsson with discovering the New World when they sighted the Caribbean and Canada, respectively. As Wikipedia's entry on the Norwegian explorer states, "Bjarni is believed to be the first European to see North America," which he did in the summer of 986 on the way to visit his parents in Greenland, and island which is itself part of North America. So Europeans (including Herjólfsson’s parents) had already "discovered" Greenland, although many before have quite reasonably questioned one's ability to discover something already known for thousands of years to many people.
NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH
The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. Back in 1990, President George H.W. Bush named November National American Indian Heritage Month. The purpose of the observance is to highlight the roles America's aboriginal peoples have played in the country's history. It's kind of interesting. I'd say that the main role Natives have played in regard to American history was armed resistance and reluctant subjugation. It's kind of like Israel having a National Palestinian Heritage Month, Turkey having an Armenian History Month or Sudan having a Darfur Day.
I suppose, somewhat begrudgingly, that most Natives today have come to accept the fact that America is here to stay ...at least until 2012. Furthermore, Natives have, in many cases, actually been supportive of America and contributed to her history, to be sure. For example, not only did many Native nations align themselves with the US and its colonial antecedents at various times, but they also served as really good trackers and proved to be natural ecologists who demonstrated their intrinsically environmentalist natures by using every part of the bison and coming up with 30 different names for snow.
Sabrina
Almost One Year of Employment
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ME: Hi. So Sabrina, you are a newish arrival to San Francisco. What do you love about living here? Why did you move here?
S: I didn't really tell anyone I was moving out here, I just did it. I was on a self journey and I
was so done with Boston. I've been called a hippie my whole life so I figured I might fit in here. My parents would call me "Greenpeace" when I was a kid. I liberated a petting zoo when I was in high school cause I was a vegan straight edge kid. I used to be a brawler, big time.
What was the first show you went to see upon arriving here and where was it?
It was at the Elbo Room and it was the first week I was here. It was a metal band from Japan and I don't remember the name of them. I had really long hair and little Lennon glasses on.
So you were really going for the hippie thing!
Dude, I was so surprised-- people were just smoking weed indoors and it was kind of ok. It's not as acceptable there [Back East]. It's just not as open.
What's your favorite place to see a show?
Great American. The Lipo Lounge is pretty rad. Edinburgh [Castle] is rad because they have the fish and chips you can order from next door!
So you're not vegan anymore?
Almost One Year of Employment
Register
ME: Hi. So Sabrina, you are a newish arrival to San Francisco. What do you love about living here? Why did you move here?
S: I didn't really tell anyone I was moving out here, I just did it. I was on a self journey and I
was so done with Boston. I've been called a hippie my whole life so I figured I might fit in here. My parents would call me "Greenpeace" when I was a kid. I liberated a petting zoo when I was in high school cause I was a vegan straight edge kid. I used to be a brawler, big time.What was the first show you went to see upon arriving here and where was it?
It was at the Elbo Room and it was the first week I was here. It was a metal band from Japan and I don't remember the name of them. I had really long hair and little Lennon glasses on.
So you were really going for the hippie thing!
Dude, I was so surprised-- people were just smoking weed indoors and it was kind of ok. It's not as acceptable there [Back East]. It's just not as open.
What's your favorite place to see a show?Great American. The Lipo Lounge is pretty rad. Edinburgh [Castle] is rad because they have the fish and chips you can order from next door!
So you're not vegan anymore?
