I'm kind of astonished that the lesson was *so* unleavened by truth in a school in California, where colonialism's legacy is so much fresher. I was happily surprised when my nine-year-old nephew was insistent in telling me that Columbus wasn't a hero, and why; when my father challenged him, mentioning how some Indians slaughtered colonists, Nicholas was firm: "It was a war! And the white people were much worse!" I smiled inwardly - Right, his teacher is probably a child of boomers.

I bet Damian's is an anomaly, and next year you're gonna hear about Indigenous People's Day.

I agree with Chris about the probability of this teacher being an anomaly. I also find myself saying things to my preschool and 1st grade sons like, "Christopher Columbus was one of the early people to come to the US from Europe," and even "Some people believe C.C. discovered America." I love using "some people..." I feel like I'm setting them up for more information at a later time.