¿Columbus Day? Yes, please. Practical guide to understanding the figure of Cristopher Columbus María Saavedra Inaraja Universidad San Pablo CEU With the support of: Author: María Saavedra Inaraja Universidad San Pablo CEU This activity has received a subsidy from the Secretaría General de Política de Defensa del Ministerio de Defensa. INDEX COLUMBUS, THE MAN A contradictory figure Brief biographic profile The Portuguese stage In Castile A fortunate mistake Explorations continue The end of the Admiral of the Ocean Sea A contrasting personality A well cultured man The Columbian messianism THE KEY QUESTIONS Was Columbus a supporter of slavery? Was Columbus the instigator of the American genocide? Did Columbus really “discover” America? Can the Spanish legacy be summarized as a process of ethnocide? Are there reasons to celebrate the 12th of October? SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 12 13 15 15 17 18 20 21 23 23 25 27 28 30 32 36 39 46 6 As a historian, I have witnessed for some “Christopher Columbus’ legacy of extreme years now, with some trepidation, a kind violence, enslavement, and brutality of iconoclastic fury that has targeted is not in dispute. Nor is the suffering, the representations of Christopher destruction of cultures, and subjugation Columbus in American territory. Why of Los Angeles’ original indigenous people, are statues of Columbus being removed who were here thousands of years before from their location, covered or damaged anyone else”. with fury? It is therefore unquestionable -in O'Farrell's The statues erected to Christopher words- that Columbus' legacy in America Columbus throughout the world, boils down to extreme violence, slavery and especially in Italy, Spain, Latin brutality. The consequences of his arrival America and the United States, are in America range from the destruction intended to extol the historical contribution of Caribbean cultures to the disdain of the character. and oppression of the native peoples of California, specifically Los Angeles. As I It is not a matter of paying homage to the have pointed out on some occasions, for the person, but to his deeds. And the facts, Californian politician, Columbus' shadow beyond the figure of the honored, are those turns out to be very, very extensive. related to his contribution to the history of humanity. We would obviously The council member from Los Angeles, disagree to erect statues to someone who who has undertaken admirable campaigns has made inventions or contributions in to preserve the environment and other the field of science, technology, sports... campaigns in defense of indigenous if that person had contributed to acts peoples, in this case, is mistaken in his contrary to human rights. Is that the means. He seeks a confrontation between case with Columbus? Is the recognition two realities that are very far apart in time: of scientific contribution voided, because the Native American of today and the it is neutralized by the perversity of his arrival of Columbus in America more decisions? than 500 years ago. We might think so, if we take into The argument used by the instigators of consideration the claims of certain political the anti-Columbus campaign does not leaders, such as Mitch O'Farrell, who go seem to be directed against the life and so far as to claim: actions of the navigator, of whom they 7 Is there a cause-and-effect logic between the life of This study seeks to Christopher Columbus and provide historical the marginalization of the data that will allow so-called "Native peoples" us to reach reasoned of the United States? and reasonable conclusions. This study seeks to provide historical data that will allow us to reach reasoned Therefore, this and reasonable conclusions. Therefore, work has little to this work has little to do with ideological do with ideological arguments or fluctuating sensibilities. arguments. History is what it is. It is up to us to know it and explain it, not to change it or interpret it by adapting it to changing provide hardly any data. The objective ideological interests that are not always of this hatred seems to be more directed well-intentioned. Our aim is for the reader towards the process carried out by Spain to reach his or her own conclusions, after and the Columbus journeys. It projects, on presenting the facts as they were. We Columbus’ figure, an attitude of radical, flee both from dark legends and sweetened violent and total rejection of Spain's actions myths, both equal enemies of true in America. history and distant from scientific rigor. And the intention -apparent at least- is more than commendable: to vindicate Answering the question that gives this the rights of contemporary indigenous report its title, about whether or not populations, marginalized over decades; to celebrate Columbus Day, may seem victims of persecution and plunder since simple, but it is not. the founding of the United States and even before, when the Thirteen British First of all, it is necessary to spot the Colonies constituted a small strip on the mistake into which some politicians or nowadays East Coast. propagandists have fallen: the obligation ¿Columbus Day? Yes, please. Practical guide to understanding the figure of Cristopher Columbus 8 to choose a single valid option Today, the statement that recognizes "the between two supposedly opposing and urgent need to respect and promote the incompatible parties. Was it necessary to rights of indigenous peoples affirmed choose between celebrating Columbus Day in treaties, agreements and other or Indigenous Peoples' Day? This is the path constructive arrangements with States” is that some try to take us down. found to be fully justified. The sensible answer is to conclude that Moreover, in the same document, the everyone fits, that one should not be forced United Nations makes a statement: to choose one option over the exclusion of the other. “Convinced that control by indigenous peoples over developments affecting It's been years since the UN universally them and their lands, territories and instituted the International Day of the resources will enable them to maintain World's Indigenous Peoples, which and strengthen their institutions, cultures we celebrate every year on August 9. and traditions, and to promote their Furthermore, the 2007 UN Declaration development in accordance with their on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples aspirations and needs”. aims to apply the 1948 Declaration on Human Rights to the particularities of (Introduction to the Charter on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. United Nations indigenous peoples around the world, General Assembly, 2007). who remain particularly vulnerable groups and frequent victims of exclusion and Based on the anthropological bases discrimination. indicated in the Introduction, the Charter details, in 46 articles, the determinations One of the causes to which the United that States must currently carry out Nations attributes this situation of to protect and encourage the full vulnerability is colonial history, which inclusion of these peoples without has led to them being "dispossessed of their forcing them to renounce their own lands, territories and resources, preventing identity and idiosyncrasies. them from exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance with their own needs and interests". ¿Columbus Day? Yes, please. Practical guide to understanding the figure of Cristopher Columbus 9 In our opinion, when the symbols the history of America. In the case of associated with Spanish colonization, as those colonized by Spain, which in its embodied in the images of Christopher day -and over three centuries- were part Columbus, are attacked, a colossal error of the Hispanic Monarchy, just looking is made in trying to apply judgments at images of contemporary reality should issued with criteria and values of our be enough to realize that the mestizaje time -in a completely anachronistic denies any claim in defense of the manner- to events that took place more existence of a genocide. In the same than five hundred years ago. sense, we can consider the existence of numerous indigenous communities that The way in which indigenous rights are today preserve their languages of recognized and applied today should not pre-Hispanic origin. involve the demolition of symbols that remind us of what happened in the Perhaps a quick visual comparison of the 15th century. In fact, it seems like a crude populations of Latin America and the and superficial exercise that in no way United States was enough to refute the contributes to improving the situation fallacy of the indigenous genocide of the current native populations of the initiated by Christopher Columbus. American continent. But to avoid falling into the same mistakes of anachronism, superficiality and lack of Perhaps those who demolish statues or historical perspective that we detected in cover paintings need to ask themselves that false indigenism, we will provide about a much more recent past or, more some ideas and historical data on which practically, about the measures that should readers can make a correct and informed be taken today to protect the rights of decision about whether or not to celebrate these groups of people. Columbus Day. To justify actions against the images of Columbus, it is said that it offends the descendants of the peoples to be able to contemplate symbols of their ancestor’s repression. That consideration does not resist any scientific argument about ¿Columbus Day? Yes, please. Practical guide to understanding the figure of Cristopher Columbus 10 ¿Columbus Day? Yes, please. Practical guide to understanding the figure of Cristopher Columbus 11 COLUMBUS, THE MAN 12 A contradictory figure "Columbus is a disturbing character. After These two quotations, the first from one all, he performed the most remarkable deed of our contemporary Hispanists, and the in the history of mankind, yet multiple second from an American romantic who mysteries surround him".