![]() ![]() He wanted to know how it was possible that Christopher Columbus discovered a land in which his ancestors had lived for over 30,000 years, he wanted to know what happened to all the people who lived here in 1491, and he wanted to know why the man responsible for invading his native land and slaughtering his ancestors was being honored. Apparently, her six-year-old was being defiant in classroom. What were these defiant actions? Well, upon his teacher explaining Columbus Day and honoring the courageous and brave sailor who discovered this land in 1492, he had a couple of questions for the teacher. But to attribute the decline of native population to an intentional desire within Christopher Columbus is to engage in dishonest psychoanalysis of what actually happened 500 years ago.“In 1492, the natives discovered they were Indians, discovered they lived in America, discovered they were naked, discovered that the Sin existed, discovered they owed allegiance to a King and Kingdom from another world and a God from another sky, and that this God had invented the guilty and the dress, and had sent to be burnt alive who worships the Sun the Moon the Earth and the Rain that wets it.” ~ Eduardo GaleanoĪ good friend of mine, a member of the Republic of Lakotah, had a meeting with her first grade son’s elementary school principal. ![]() Did other Spaniards mistreat them (and other Spaniards valiantly fought for the rights and dignity of the natives)? Absolutely yes. Did Columbus kill them off? Absolutely not. The native population of the islands (and in particular the Taino people) did decrease…until they were virtually extinct within 50 years of discovery by the Spaniards. Ovando, who became a leader in the new lands claimed by Spain, was the one chopping off the limbs and noses of Indians, not Columbus.Ĭolumbus was not promoting sex traffickers– he was complaining against it! The whole time he was governor in the New World (1492-1500) he did not enslave or commit genocide against the Indians. We do know that Columbus was not the one enslaving or committing atrocities against the Indians, but rather other Spaniards were– led by one Nicolas de Ovando. ![]() He could mean slaves, or actual servants, or (in a figurative sense) servants of God, since he was talking about his desire for them to become Christians. In the context, what does Columbus mean by “servants”? We don’t know. If it please our Lord, I intend at my return home six of them to your Highness, that they may learn our language…” They very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. In one translation he says, “It must appear to me that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants, and I am of the opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no religion. There is the famous (or infamous) quote by Columbus that the natives would make excellent servants. He only states that it would take about 50 men to leave a Spanish presence there. He never states that he wishes to enslave, rape, or murder or conquer the natives. He did leave a garrison with the comment that it would only take about 50 men to secure the island. We must remember that for Columbus’ first voyage there are no charges of atrocities. So, supposedly these copies of Columbus’ journals damn Christopher for admitting his desire to enslave, rape, pillage, and kill off the native Americans. We have no first hand accounts in his original hand, although we do have copies of copies. None of Columbus’ original journals survive. ![]()
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