![]() ![]() ![]() He forced natives to pay him gold and enslaved thousands, including children. Revering him in this way is not only factually incorrect, but adds to the erasure of Indigenous people and their rights.įrom his first encounter with Indigenous people, Columbus was warlike and brutal. Second, wherever he landed, Indigenous people were already there. Yes, Columbus was a decent sailor who traveled to lands then unknown in Europe. But he does not deserve a day for being “discoverer of America.” Firstly, he actually set foot on v arious Caribbean islands, not North America. And most importantly, you know that retelling a harmless version of Columbus’ voyage is unconscionable. You know their were more crimes than rape committed against Indigenous populations - other horrific atrocities followed. It’s hard to read this ugly passage, especially given it immediately tells you the truth about Columbus and his leadership. Read it and then tell me: Do you still feel like celebrating Columbus Day? If you’re one of those people please pause and take a breath.Īn excerpt from a letter written by Michele de Cuneo, Columbus’ shipmate during his second voyage, talks about how the “Lord Admiral” (AKA Columbus) kidnapped a woman for de Cuneo to rape. My generation was saturated with Columbus and Thanksgiving narratives that were “suitable” for children because they included nothing to dislike in fact they lied to children because they erased the terrible side of Christopher Columbus’s legacy.īut so many millions absorbed the stories at an early age that they have a hard time letting go. They hear about a movement to change the second Monday in October from Christopher Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day, and they scratch their heads wondering “Who isn’t proud that Columbus discovered America? What did Columbus or his crew do that was wrong?” They can’t understand. You sang along in school pageants that told and retold this story as innocently as any nursery rhyme. If you received a standard American education in the mid-20th century, one of your earliest primary school lessons praised Christopher Columbus and described the so-called “discovery of America.” You learned that in 1492 the fearless Columbus and his noble crew bravely navigated the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria to reach the New World, where they broke bread with the Indians. *Trigger and content warning: this piece contains excerpts of a historical document with sexual and racial violence and mentions of suicide People Power: Democracy Stories From the Ground Up. ![]()
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