Posted on 10/10/2003 4:58:47 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
ITHACA--Students, faculty and staff gathered at noon yesterday on Ho Plaza in a rally against the celebration of Columbus Day this Monday.
Native American Students at Cornell was the main organizer of the rally. The group had the support of other organizations on campus: the American Indian Program, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), the Akwe:kon program house and the Latino Living Center. These groups supported the rally because they feel that the image of Columbus as a hero is a Native American concern as well as a Latino and an African-American issue.
"The indigenous people are near extinction," said Victoria R. Lopez, residence hall director of the LLC.
Another grievance of NASAC is that Columbus Day occurs during fall break each year. The treasurer of NASAC, Anpao Duta Flying Earth '04, said he doesn't feel that Columbus Day warrants the acknowledgment of a vacation.
Participants of the rally handed out flyers to passersby in front of the Straight. The flyers stated the crimes of Christopher Columbus to be the murder of more than 12 million Indians, the kidnapping and illegal transportation of African people and the depopulation of thirty Caribbean islands.
Four speeches were also given at the rally, focusing on the encouragement of open debate and increasing knowledge about issues not taught in American schools.
Professor Speaks
The first speaker was Prof. Lloyd Elm, American Indian studies. He said that "traditional American schools sanitize information." When important information is left out of lessons, he said, students are left with the impression that "the human history of this great, great, country began in 1492."
He praised Cornell for offering more diverse and culturally representative courses and said that "everyone deserves to have their history taught at Cornell." Through these courses, "young people are gaining the gifts of multiple perspectives," he added.
Jason Corwin '02, the media assistant at Cornell's film program, was the second speaker. He presented Native Americans' grievances against Columbus Day as allowing stereotypes to continue and the full implications of the genocide of indigenous people to go unacknowledged.
Corwin said that "without taking a look at our human history, genocide could happen again." He then went on to recommend two books that gave what he said are more diverse and accurate perceptions of history: A People's History of the United States: 1942-Present by Howard Zinn and A Little Matter of Genocide by Ward Churchill.
Corwin continued to stress the importance of debate -- and, he said, the lack thereof -- at Cornell. In the spring of 2002, Corwin said he went to the Cornell Review, which supports Columbus Day, to invite representatives to a formal debate. They agreed and decided on which issues of Western civilization were to be brought up at the debate. The Cornell Review pulled out with no clear reason, according to Corwin, and the debate never took place. Corwin states that without open arguments, people cannot "reflect on what [they] have been taught and seek out other information."
Currently, Anpao plans to create a Cornell-sponsored genocide panel or conference. Through this panel, he said, serious discussions can be fostered about the implications of genocides, such as those found in America, Rwanda and Germany.
Philip Fiadino, a Catholic chaplain at the University, did not initially know that the event was taking place. However, as he passed by the rally he felt the motivation to speak. He talked about his experience of bringing students from elite Catholic schools to Native American reservations. These students, he said, were shocked at seeing such despair, including poverty and alcoholism, on the reservations. He went on to say that just listening to these problems was not enough.
The final speaker was Sam Strong '07. He read a passage from Zinn's book, which reflected a Native American's perspective of the European conquest of the Americas. The rally closed with a performance by the White Pine Singers.
A sign at the rally suggested the creation of an Americas' Day, stating that "the Native Americans will support America so long as America does not just forget them."
(with apologies to Stan Freberg)
Spoken like someone who equates race with species....just like Adolph Hitler.
It's official - a history degree from Cornell is now worth less than a history degree from TCCC. Way to go, Big Red! ;)
....actually some studies indicate that there are more native Americans now than when Columbus came........ask one of them if he'd like to go back to the Stone Age.......see what he says.
When important information is left out of lessons, he said, students are left with the impression that "the human history of this great, great, country began in 1492."
Hey, call me a liberal, but I find myself agreeing with this guy. We should learn about a people who were constantly at war with one another, who practiced incredibly brutal tortures on one another (opening up a vanquished opponents abdomen, staking his innards to a tree and lighting the forest on fire comes to mind), and who raped and enslaved one another. Let's teach the children about people who as late as 1492 hadn't thought of using the wheel to aid transportation or used a beast of burden.
When we paint an image of a people, peacefully planting flowers, building a totem pole, having the occasional chotaquwa, and smoking a peace pipe, students are left with a false impression.
Owl_Eagle
" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"
"The indigenous people are near extinction," whines Victoria R. Lopez.
"You're full of sh**, Vicky!"
I have nothing against Inidans who were here before the English and Europeans built America, but they lost. War over terrority has been going on since the begining of time. If there were an easier way for hard working people to get the better land, someone would have found it by now.
Further , there were harsh things done on both sides of the issue, just like there always has been ,and always will be.
If these people were so determine to make America theirs , why don't they make some contributions? They have the same rights everyone else has. Nothing is stopping them from creating something of value to the country. There is nothing wrong with their brains, or their hands.
I am sick of the complaining!
According to the article:
Native American Students at Cornell was the main organizer of the rally. The group had the support of other organizations on campus: the American Indian Program, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), the Akwe:kon program house and the Latino Living Center.
Hmmmmm.... let's paraphrase a little, circa 2125:
I have nothing against gringos who were here before the Mexicans and mestizos built Atzlan, but they lost. War over terrority has been going on since the begining of time. If there were an easier way for hard working people to get the better land, someone would have found it by now.
Further, there were harsh things done on both sides of the issue, just like there always has been ,and always will be.
Just a thought.....
Cheers!
- John
"Take an Indian to lunch, this week. Show him we're a regular bunch, this week.
Show him just how liberal we can be. Let him know he's almost as good as we."
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America" is one of the funniest albums out there. If you don't have a copy, get it! Although first released in 1961, it's still hilariously on the mark. (end of plug)
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