![]() federal holidays and one of three holidays that celebrate individual persons: The other two are Americans George Washington and Dr. Today the Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the islands that Columbus landed on, do not celebrate Columbus Day.The Americas are named after Amerigo Vespucci, who landed on the mainland in what is now South America.He did not serve the interests of America he served the interests of two monarchs: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.He did not sail for America he sailed for Spain.He was not an American he was Italian.He did not land on the mainland of what is now the United States.Other than his legacy of genocide against indigenous peoples, here are some facts: The general public may then find that celebrating Columbus as an American hero is inappropriate. Although history cannot be changed, we most certainly can deconstruct outdated historical narratives and revise history using facts and incorporating indigenous perspectives. If the general public were to simply rely on facts, then they would find that celebrating Columbus Day is offensive, embarrassing and completely absurd. Q: Given what you’ve just said, how can the general public become more enlightened?Ī: I have observed that most folks do not know the true history of Columbus and therefore never felt the need to question why his legacy is celebrated. These facts and numbers are the definition of genocide. When Columbus landed on the island in 1492 there were approximately 250,000 natives by 1550 there were only 500 by 1650 the entire population was annihilated. ![]() The survivors who witnessed the end of their world either committed mass suicide or were sold into slavery. The Arawaks resisted but could not stop the onslaught of violence. There are also numerous accounts of sexual violence and trafficking of indigenous women and the torture and murder of indigenous children. The Arawak endured violent punishments and bodily dismemberment if they did not produce a certain amount of gold in a given time. He enslaved them in mass numbers and forced them to mine for gold. Columbus and his men met the Arawak people who were indigenous to the island that is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. What are some examples of this?Ī: It has been well documented, even in Columbus’ diaries, that he and his men committed the most inhumane and grotesque atrocities against indigenous men, women and children. Q: Native Americans have stated that Columbus had great ill will toward indigenous people. His legacy has been a topic of contention for years among American Indian scholars, yet the legitimacy of Columbus’ “discovery” did not become a mainstream issue until the quincentennial of his 1492 voyage. In 1492, he arrived at the Caribbean islands, yet he believed until his dying day that he landed in the East Indies, which are located halfway around the globe in Southeast Asia. For instance, Columbus never landed on the mainland, which would become the United States of America. Historical facts prove that the legacy of Christopher Columbus is based on misinformation and outright lies. Why?Īnswer: Columbus did not “discover” a land that was already inhabited by millions of indigenous peoples and hundreds of indigenous nations. Question: Most Americans recognize Christopher Columbus as the man who discovered America, but recently academics - most especially Native Americans - don’t necessarily subscribe to that theory. ASU Now spoke to Killsback about this controversial holiday and his hopes that one day it might be replaced with a tribute to indigenous people.
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