Mythologies: Columbus Day
Columbus Day is more a catastrophe than it is a celebration. The day that Christopher Columbus arrived in North America was a momentous day. Along with the great discovery of North America that is worthy of celebration, it also marks the beginning of the mass genocide of the Native Americans. The later of the two has been ignored.
As the tales go, “In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” We are taught from the day we step foot into schools that Christopher Columbus was a hero who sailed the seas and stumbled on the Bahamas by accident. This day changed the course of history. It opened a new trading route and more than anything, it changed the way we saw the world. Prior to the discovery …show more content…
We only learn about Columbus and his side of the story. We don’t learn about the enslavement and horrid treatment of the native Americans and because we don’t know the other side of the story, we believe in the myth of Columbus Day; we have no reason to question it. In the first picture provided, we see a depiction of Columbus with the men that he travelled with, along with many Native Americans who are shown kneeling down and offering him many gifts. Upon a glance it illustrates the native Americans as submissive and welcoming of Columbus and friends. It paints a happy picture of the first encounter that the two groups of people shared. The problem with this picture is that it erases the true series of events that occurs after this event and gives the audience an alternative, happier picture as to prevent people from further researching the picture. After the first encounter, Columbus acknowledged how generous the Native Americans were and being the wonderful, kind, brave, hero that he was, he decided that the best course of action would be to enslave them. This is what the myth is distracting us from, it makes us ignore the lives of the Native Americans and the terrible acts that were committed against …show more content…
Children and adults alike take part in plays that reenact the first meeting and large, boat-like floats that children can ride on so they can experience Columbus’ journey on the rocky waves for themselves. As joyous as the day is for Americans and Italians (Columbus was Italian) alike, it’s a terrible memory for Native Americans. The Native Americans have their own story, in which Columbus is depicted as a cold-hearted murderer. He invaded their home, killed their families and took away their land. This was just the beginning of years’ terrible atrocities and has even been called “The first terrorist in America” by many. His actions have been compared to those of Hitler, however instead of being like Germany, where the nation is ashamed of the history and does everything to prevent any Nazism (it’s illegal in Germany) – American remains ignorant and blind. In schools, we are taught that he’s wonderful but the moment one opens a history book or reads the diary of Columbus, it is blatantly clear what a grotesque human being he was. From entries regarding Native Americans as weak, saying that they are perfectly submissive slave to stories of rape and murder. There are stories, movies, tales, even Native Americans art that show the atrocities committed and yet, when you attend the parade in memory of Columbus Day, you see nothing but
Columbus Day is more a catastrophe than it is a celebration. The day that Christopher Columbus arrived in North America was a momentous day. Along with the great discovery of North America that is worthy of celebration, it also marks the beginning of the mass genocide of the Native Americans. The later of the two has been ignored.
As the tales go, “In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” We are taught from the day we step foot into schools that Christopher Columbus was a hero who sailed the seas and stumbled on the Bahamas by accident. This day changed the course of history. It opened a new trading route and more than anything, it changed the way we saw the world. Prior to the discovery …show more content…
We only learn about Columbus and his side of the story. We don’t learn about the enslavement and horrid treatment of the native Americans and because we don’t know the other side of the story, we believe in the myth of Columbus Day; we have no reason to question it. In the first picture provided, we see a depiction of Columbus with the men that he travelled with, along with many Native Americans who are shown kneeling down and offering him many gifts. Upon a glance it illustrates the native Americans as submissive and welcoming of Columbus and friends. It paints a happy picture of the first encounter that the two groups of people shared. The problem with this picture is that it erases the true series of events that occurs after this event and gives the audience an alternative, happier picture as to prevent people from further researching the picture. After the first encounter, Columbus acknowledged how generous the Native Americans were and being the wonderful, kind, brave, hero that he was, he decided that the best course of action would be to enslave them. This is what the myth is distracting us from, it makes us ignore the lives of the Native Americans and the terrible acts that were committed against …show more content…
Children and adults alike take part in plays that reenact the first meeting and large, boat-like floats that children can ride on so they can experience Columbus’ journey on the rocky waves for themselves. As joyous as the day is for Americans and Italians (Columbus was Italian) alike, it’s a terrible memory for Native Americans. The Native Americans have their own story, in which Columbus is depicted as a cold-hearted murderer. He invaded their home, killed their families and took away their land. This was just the beginning of years’ terrible atrocities and has even been called “The first terrorist in America” by many. His actions have been compared to those of Hitler, however instead of being like Germany, where the nation is ashamed of the history and does everything to prevent any Nazism (it’s illegal in Germany) – American remains ignorant and blind. In schools, we are taught that he’s wonderful but the moment one opens a history book or reads the diary of Columbus, it is blatantly clear what a grotesque human being he was. From entries regarding Native Americans as weak, saying that they are perfectly submissive slave to stories of rape and murder. There are stories, movies, tales, even Native Americans art that show the atrocities committed and yet, when you attend the parade in memory of Columbus Day, you see nothing but