October 04, 2006
Geek excuses genocide against Indians
Columbus Day: a celebration of diversityThe TCDA claims that the native population was a group of peace loving peoples. The native of the Americas were fighting amongst themselves long before any Europeans arrived. They made war on each other and enslaved humans of other nations (which we have called tribes). Dr. Yeagley calls the interaction between Europeans and Native Americans a "car wreck". Europeans did trade with the friendly natives when they first arrive. They also defended themselves against attacks from the unfriendly ones. As new generations of in the New World grew in size they moved west where they encountered more natives. They were not always met with friendly commerce and trade, so there were wars. Those with modern weapons and training defeated those without. Such is the history of war. It cannot be denied and it is not denied.
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A key error is his claim "In subsequent years, the Spaniards sent legions of armies to do what the TCDA claims that Columbus set out to do. The Spanish enslaved and wiped out generations of native peoples in North, Central, and South America"
Contained in this is the implied claim that Columbus did NOT directly order and oversee enslavement and "wiping out" in the areas of the New World he dealth with.
The claim that the Indians warred against each other is a curious thing to bring up as a defense against charges of atrocities/genocide against them. If the Jews of Europe had been known for vicious fighting amongst themselves, would this have somehow lessened the serioueness of the Holocaust?
Yes, the "warring Indians" defense is specious. For starters, Indians were much less violent and warlike than Europeans. Only the latter had a Hundred Years' War, a Thirty Years' War, and a century-plus of Crusades.
More important, as you noted, this defense is irrelevant to the claims against Columbus. "Everyone does it" isn't a valid excuse when your religion and its priests tell you not to do it. Two wrongs don't make a right now and they didn't then.
The paragraph in question has several more problems, such as the implication that the Indians were the first to be unfriendly. I'll go into these problems when I add this posting to the Stereotype of the Month contest.
The bigger issue, actually, is why we still feel the need in our country to not only defend the actions of this man, but to celebrate them.
Columbus was the first in a long line of conquerers whose legacy is well-documented. What he may have done specifically we could argue, but some things are abundantly clear: this is not a man to honor. Five-hundred years of genocide and the attempted destruction of the native culture is more than enough to convince any thinking person of that. Or you would hope...
Right, Carole. We don't even acknowledge Washington and Lincoln with separate days anymore. The only individuals we celebrate with official holidays are Martin Luther King Jr. and Columbus.
There's also a certain disconnect between the man Christopher Columbus and the matter Italian heritage and history. He's got plenty to do with Spanish history, and Caribbean history... but Italy? When in the Old World, he hung around Iberia and worked with Iberian royalty. When in the New World, he worked for the Spanish. On top of that, are persisent theories that he was ethnically of Spain as well....
Funny you should bring that up, N.O.S....
It so happens that I just wrote about Italian heritage and Columbus. As an Italian, I don't get it at all. Very misplaced thinking.
Wrote? Was it a posting here I missed or ignored?
Writerfella here --
The essayist merely took the long way around to say, "I had NOTHING to do with that!"
Plus, for a professedly educated man, he misspelled 'ostensibly' and also said that he goes to 'pubic' meetings.
What the treknogeek could not see is that there almost were no Natives left to argue one way or the other about Columbus Day. And that his 'nation of immigrants' has only one group that never can go back where they came from...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Yes, it's funny that Italians get so wrought up over Columbus's voyages even though they were largely a Spanish achievement.
I linked to Carole's latest rant over in NativeVue.org.
And if Columbus is indeed Spanish, it would be like Greeks getting defensive over an "Alexander the Great Day" or Russians over "Stalin Day".
Where is the illustrating panel from anyway? It looks like the Classics Illustrated "Last of the Mohicans" barging in the bathroom of Sif ("The Mighty Thor") while she is taking a shower. One guy on the floor appears to have assumed the missionary position.
See INDIAN SUMMER or Bummer? for the origin of the illustration.
Thanks for the link. Did a "Saved by the Bell" actor really read and like "Peace Party"?
"Mario Lopez" is undoubtedly a common name. There are eight of them listed on IMDB.com, for instance. So I doubt it was the actor.
At least it wasn't the "Screech" guy.
I am one of the MANY Natives in Denver fighting the racist celebration of a genocidal murderer, and although said Geek is claiming that we didn't come to the press conference/Yeagley freakshow because these white TCD allies were leading us...
a) We have better things to do than fight with a fake indian (Yeagley) and give him fodder to write his inane racist comments about. In fact, at that particular time many of us were involved in huge awareness events and such to the benefit of our community. Let our allies deal with the fake indians' rhetoric against "his kind".
b)TCDA acts on the cue of the American Indian Movement of Colorado and always has. They respect and heed our judgement, and it happens that Glenn S and other mentioned TCD members are excellent both with historical knowledge but also with the undeniable logic to face off with a man who has no logic.
c) That the Sons of Italy (aka Convoy of Conquest planning committee) went out and got themselves an "indian" who speaks to their issue, yet even the local radio media refused to associate with Yeagley when they saw his continuous rants on the poor, liberals, and people of any race other than white.
It shows nothing, as they also paraded fake aztec dancers in 2005 with a caveman as the center piece (??), and in 2006 the parade was lead by the color guard (a representation of the calvary who slew indians in great massacres in the Indian Wars), and adorned trucks with anti-abortion statements and homophobic imagery and comments, alongside businesses and politicians.
d) Columbus wasn't even Italian-get over it!
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