Happy Monday Everyone!

For those of you who may not know, today is Columbus Day here in the United States. For some reason (quite unknown to me), every year the United States celebrates a man who, by all historical accounts, decimated and enslaved the indigenous persons of the Americas. So instead of highlighting an inappropriate historical figure, I’d like to turn my attentions this October 12th to my Isla del Encanto: Puerto Rico. Although the Taínos were subjected to the wrath of Columbus, the music, culture, and appreciation for nature that stems from our ancestors is still alive and well in Puerto Rico. So, this Columbus Day instead of celebrating a man who was a destroyer of cultures and people, I encourage you to celebrate all of the indigenous populations around the world and to remember that no matter our differences, we are all human and we all deserve mutual respect.

– Hazel

Photo © 2015 Bryan Arroyo