Christianity and protection to willing natives (Queen Isabel) and death and reprisal against those unwilling to obey (King Fernando). Like you, I condemn the abuses against natives but, Christopher Columbus had a two-sided mission, under two crowns with different goals. But neither can we continue to embrace fairy facades such as those about the exploiter who “sailed the ocean blue in 1492.” American Indians and I am sure many other indigenous peoples, understand that we cannot undo the past. It should not be threatening to our identity and future as Americans to stop the glorification of Christopher Columbus. My only reply is we are willing to move on but only until we as a unified people recognize the history of violence that was forced upon us. I constantly hear from non-natives that we Indians need to just get over the past. This country remains in deep denial about its origins. But I also believe we need to embrace the full truth about the terrible price my ancestors paid for the discovery of this “new world.” I believe we should remember the horrific truth about the man and his contributions to opening the doors to colonization. Many tribal Indian governments remain open on Columbus Day as a form of protest.īut in all honesty, I am not sure how we should deal with the memory of Columbus. Indeed, some cities have denounced the holiday in favor of celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of indigenous peoples. In recent years, there have been calls to unmask the false celebrity of Columbus. From proudly displaying degrading Indians as savage sports mascots, to exploiting Indian land for oil and other natural resources, you cannot convince me that the spirit of Christopher Columbus is no longer with us. In fact, the propensity for dehumanizing native people is ongoing. 9, it is important to remember this nation’s history of stealing Indian land and subjugating native people to reservations. But continuing to honor a man who brought such misery to American Indians only serves to hide the truth about how this country was formed. Perhaps we do not have much to celebrate in this divided country other than sports figures and those who have bravely helped survivors of natural disasters and deadly attacks. And yet, many Americans gladly attend parades throughout this country’s cities, wrongly praising the man for his truly wicked deeds. with 50 men they could all be subjected and made to do all that one wished.”ĭoing as he wished, Columbus and his crew brought disease, stole precious resources and ultimately wiped out many indigenous island tribes, all in the name of claiming this side of the globe as the “new world.”Ĭolumbus’ violent ventures served as only the beginning to future conquests of American Indians and the indigenous peoples of Central and South America. Consider these words from Columbus himself: “These people are very unskilled in arms. Landing on the shores of the Americas, Columbus did not think twice about what he believed were an inferior people who should be held as slaves, guides, even as dog food for their ongoing exploits. In 1492, the Spanish sailor Christopher Columbus embarked on what he believed would be a pathway to riches in India. Portrait of a man said to be Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo (1485–1547).įor the past 80 years, since Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937, we have celebrated an explorer who engaged in enslavement, outright theft and the genocide of this hemisphere's indigenous peoples.
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