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Born Against
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Just out of curiosity (since a few threads here have involved religion and its current power) I thought I'd look up what the National Council of Churches had to say about Columbus. I was expecting them to hold the "elitist" viewpoint extolling Columbus' bravery, heroism, and insight.
To my surprise I found the exact opposite, namely a lengthy resolution that says, among many other things, that "For the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands, Christopher Columbus's invasion marked the beginning of slavery and their eventual genocide . . . . What some historians have termed a 'discovery' in reality was an invasion and colonization with legalized occupation, genocide, economic exploitation and a deep level of institutional racism and moral decadence. . . For the church, this is not a time for celebration." And so on (see the appended quote below).
This resolution was made in 1990 well before the publicized AIM demonstrations in 1992.
On reflection, I guess I'm not so surprised. My recollection is that Columbus' reputation hit a nadir around 1990 and was in the gutter through most of the 90s, and only has started to rise again in the last few years. Just about all the history books for the last 15 years have pointed out the negative aspects, although I agree with willravel that few "average" people are really very aware of them. That's no surprise though, given that a lot of "average" Americans probably think Columbus was our first president too.
But more educated people I think have been well aware for probably the last 40 years of the disease, slavery, and slaughter. These negative aspects have been fairly well represented in college history textbooks since the 1960s, and still are. And I think ironically it wasn't the Indians or civil rights movement that brought them to the foreground, I think it was the aftermath of WWII, with discovery of places like Auschwitz and Belsen, that brought an increased desire to acknowledge and record these kinds of atrocities.
I don't know much about Columbus, but I personally see nothing particularly worth celebrating about 1492.
What I'd like to know is who the first Indian was who stepped out of a plane and discovered Columbus' birthplace of Italy.
Maybe we should replace Columbus Day with the name of this Indian, and use it as a day to celebrate native culture all across America.
Quote:
A Faithful Response
A Faithful Response to the 500th Anniversay
of the Arrival of Christopher Columbus
As adopted by the Governing Board
May 17, 1990
A Resolution of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
As U.S. Christians approach public observances marking the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first landing in the Western hemisphere, we are called to review our full history, reflect upon it, and act as people of faith mindful of the significance of 1492. The people in our churches and communities now look at the significance of the event in different ways. What represented newness of freedom, hope and opportunity for some was the occasion for oppression, degradation and genocide for others. For the Church this is not a time for celebration but a time for a committed plan of action insuring that this "kairos" moment in history not continue to cosmetically coat the painful aspects of the American history of racism.
1. In 1992, celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the "New World" will be held. For the descendants of the survivors of the subsequent invasion, genocide, slavery, "ecocide", and exploitation of the wealth of the land, a celebration is not an appropriate observation of this anniversary.
* For the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands, Christopher Columbus's invasion marked the beginning of slavery and their eventual genocide.
* For the indigenous people of Central America, the result was slavery, genocide and exploitation leading to the present struggle for liberation.
* For the indigenous people of South America, the result was slavery, genocide, and the exploitation of their mineral and natural resources, fostering the early accumulation of capital by the European countries.
* For the indigenous people of Mexico, the result was slavery, genocide, rape of mineral as well as natural resources and a decline of their civilization.
* For the peoples of modern Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines the result was the eventual grabbing of the land, genocide and the present economic captivity.
* For the indigenous peoples of North America, it brought slavery, genocide, and theft and exploitation of the land which has led to their descendants' impoverished lives.
* For the peoples of the African Diaspora, the result was slavery, an evil and immoral system steeped in racism, economic exploitation, rape of mineral as well as human resources and national divisiveness along the lines of the colonizing nations.
* For the peoples from Asia brought to work the land, torn from their families and culture by false promises of economic prosperity, the result was labor camps, discrimination and today's victimization of the descendants facing anti-Asian racism.
* For the descendants of the European conquerors the subsequent legacy has been the perpetuation of paternalism and racism into our cultures and times.
2. The Church, with few exceptions, accompanied and legitimized this conquest and exploitation. Theological justifications for destroying native religious beliefs while forcing conversion to European forms of Christianity demanded a submission from the newly converted that facilitated their total conquest and exploitation.
3. Therefore, it is appropriate for the church to reflect on its role in that historical tragedy and, in pursuing a healing process, to move forward in our witness for justice and peace.
Towards that end, we are called to:
a. reflect seriously on the complexities and complicities of the missionary efforts during this period of colonization and subjugation that resulted in the destruction of cultures and religions, the desecration of religious sites, and other crimes against the spirituality of indigenous peoples;
b. review and reflect on the degree to which current missiologies tend to promote lifestyles that perpetuate the exploitation of the descendants of the indigenous people, and that stand in the way of enabling their self-determination;
c. identify and celebrate the significant voices within the church that have consistently advocated the rights and dignities of indigenous peoples;
d. recognize that what some historians have termed a "discovery" in reality was an invasion and colonization with legalized occupation, genocide, economic exploitation and a deep level of institutional racism and moral decadence;
e. reflect seriously on how the Church should and might ac- complish its task of witness and service to and with those of other faiths, recognizing their integrity as children of God, and not contributing to new bondages.
4. Therefore,
the Governing Board of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA:
a. Declares 1992 to be a year of reflection and repentance, and calls upon its member communions to enter into theological and missional reflection, study and prayer as a faithful obser- vance of that year;
b. Commits itself to be involved in activities that bring forward the silenced interpretation of the 1492 event including:
* taking action to influence how governments or other institutions plan to celebrate the "discovery" of America;
* using its TV, radio and print media resources to educate the Church and its constituency about the factual histories of indigenous people, the colonization of their lands and the effects today of colonization, including the loss of land, lives and cultures; and
* advocating the inclusion of the accurate factual history of indigenous people, including African Americans, in textbooks to be used in public and parochial education systems in the United States; and
* cooperating with other hemispheric interfaith bodies in a gathering in the Caribbean islands to analyze the effects of the European invasion and colonization of the Americas from the perspective of their descendants;
c. Calls upon its member communions to join in affirming and implementing this resolution in dialogue with indigenous people of the Americas;
d. Requests that the Division of Church and Society (or its legal successor) in cooperation with the Division of Overseas Ministries (or its legal successor) develop programmatic materials for the speedy implementation of this resolution;
e. Requests appropriate units to explore convening a gathering of representatives of traditional tribes, urban Indian and tribal governments to discuss ways to strengthen Indian ministries;
f. Supports the endeavors of theological schools and seminaries to help open alternative understandings of 1492/1992;
g. Declares this resolution to be our humble and faithful first step contribution towards a deep understanding among peoples of our country. It is our hope that in a new spirit of reconciliation, we move forward together into a shared future as God's creatures honoring the plurality of our cultural heritage.
http://www.indians.org/welker/faithful.htm
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