Clergy and members of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church have signed a petition to remove the "genocide cannon" from Decatur Square.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the North Decatur Presbyterian Church said the cannon was placed on the square in 1906. The Confederate memorial obelisk was taken down two summers ago by the Daughters of the Confederacy during a time of white supremacist violence in Atlanta.
The Presbyterian church underscored that the removal of the canon was for the Muscogee elders who reminded the Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, Oct. 11.
Those who wish to see more information written in this article may visit the church's Facebook page.
Georgia to Remove' Genocide Cannon'
On Tuesday, a Georgia county voted overwhelmingly to remove a "genocide cannon" from a municipal square where it had been for almost a century, according to a report from Associated Press.
The report said the cannon in Decatur, Georgia, has roots in the 1836 Indian War and has drawn condemnation from local activists who believe it commemorates the cruel suffering of thousands of Muscogee people forcibly relocated from their ancestral homes.
The Associated Press said approximately 3,500 Native Americans died due to the brutal conflict and the subsequent Trail of Tears, which saw the U.S. government forcibly remove Indian tribes from the Southeast.
It added that the cannon would be transferred into storage in 90 days, but its history and ownership are still up for debate.
According to the report, a United Daughters of the Confederacy group put it near DeKalb's old courthouse in 1906.
The Associated Press, citing the Journal-Constitution, said there is no documentation that it was donated to the county, the city of Decatur, or made public property.
Muscogee Land
According to the Muscogee nation's website, the Muscogee Nation is a self-governing native American tribe centered in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
The website stated that the Muscogee nation, with 86,100 individuals, is the fourth largest tribe in the United States and one of the five civilized tribes.
The website said the tribe's government comprises an executive branch, a legislative body, and a tribal court system.
According to the Muscogee nation's website, the organization is multidimensional, including cultural tourism, casinos, enterprises, and a higher education institution.
The Muscogee people are descended from a remarkable civilization that spanned the whole region known as the Southeastern United States before 1500 AD, it added.
Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration
According to the NPR Organization's website, despite years of assimilation, bigotry, and genocide, President Biden signed a proclamation recognizing Oct. 11 as a day to celebrate native Americans, their tenacity, and their contributions to American civilization throughout history.
According to the organization, the effort is intended to divert attention away from Columbus Day, the federal holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus, which occurs on the same day as Indigenous Peoples' Day this year.
Biden's proclamation, according to NPR, formalizes a day that a growing number of states and cities have begun to observe.
According to the report, on the second Monday in October, Boston joined Arizona, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., and numerous other states designating Indigenous Peoples' Day.
It went on to say that the majority of the work to attain native Americans had already been completed.
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