Christopher Columbus, what’s to celebrate? After learning more about what his true
intentions were, I agree with Winona LaDuke, president of the Indigenous Women’s
group, that he was a perpetrator of genocide. His quest for gold proved to be unsuccessful,
he had to fill up his ship with something, so instead he captured, tortured, and
enslaved the native people of the Americas.
He also took women and children as slaves for sex and labor. What a eye opener for me, as a child growing
up, the only memories I have of Columbus was that of his journey to America, when landed was greeted by the native people,
embraced each other and sat down for a huge and elaborate feast together.. wow….
What really happened was the total opposite..
Why would our classrooms omit such truths about our history??
It’s not enough that CC invaded the native Indian land,
enslaved, tortured and murdered, but also came the disease for which the native
people were not immune to that killed nine tenths of the population. In fact one Governor quoted such conditions as
“good hand of God” at work (Ways of the World p 407) this so there can be more
room for the Europeans… these are human
lives we are talking about, not some irrelevant population of insects.. very disappointing
Interesting that back in the colonial societies of Mexico
and Peru, there were 7 men to 1 woman, resulting in mixed race population of
Spanish men and Indian women. The Indian
women welcomed this as a form of security for their children in that they would
not receive the same treatment as they did.
Even though the
Portuguese had a clear opening for their ships to reach and fortify the various
bases at several key locations along the Indian Ocean, they insisted on using
force in obtaining these bases from the small and weaker states such as
Mombasa, none were spared, not even the smallest of child. I thought we were suppose
to learn from past history and progress, this is no different than the acts of
Ghingas Khan and the Mongols… except instead of by land, by sea… after failing to dominate the ocean,
the people assimilated, learned the local languages, became part of the trading
culture of the East. If you can’t beat
them, join them?
Unlike the Portuguese, the Spanish used small scale military
action, gifts, favors to chiefs and Catholic religion to accomplish a blood
free takeover. I’m glad that they tried
to act in a more humane manner.
Hmmm.. The Dutch were no better than the Portuguese…….used
slave labor to produce nutmeg crops…
The Atlantic slave trade; it makes me sick to think of the
11 million people taken from Africa; stripped from their home, their family; their
freedom; some to become slaves and tortured; others to die on the way – the owning
and exchange of human beings, who in their right mind would even come up with
such an idiotic idea, and actually think it would create progress and positive
change..
What’s more disturbing is reading that officials of Africa themselves
were involved in the slave trading…
Although born and raised as a Catholic, I never really
understood the message that was given during mass. I agree with some that the Catholic Church is
a cover up for corruption; money; and sexual abuse by the priests. Interesting to know that the Europeans
brought with and spread Catholicism to the societies that it conquered.
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