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Schools across the United States have taught students that Christopher Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” in 1492 and discovered the Americas. But it is this false narrative, along with many historical facts, that has led residents to demand the removal of the statue of Columbus in downtown Syracuse.

Some remember Columbus as a great explorer, but that is not enough to hide the fact that his arrival in the Caribbean resulted in the deaths of thousands of Indigenous people. Keeping his monument standing would only uphold the racist ideas that many people are working tirelessly to eradicate.

The city of Syracuse announced plans on Oct. 9 to remove the Columbus statue and rename the plaza currently known as Columbus Circle. Removing the statue, which perpetuates the pain and suffering that Indigenous community members and the Onondaga Nation experience, is the only way to demolish the representation of oppression and genocide.

Mayor Ben Walsh’s decision was only made after protests, including those organized by the Resilient Indigenous Action Collective. The collective formed in June and is composed of Indigenous community members in Syracuse and New York state.

RIAC has been protesting the statue for months. The collective’s demand for the statue’s removal is deeply rooted in both the cultural implications and deep trauma that are associated with allowing the statue to stand.

Columbus is credited with connecting continents after arriving in Hispaniola, which is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. But he is also credited with genocide, the spread of infectious diseases and the theft of natural resources. He is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Indigenous people.

He’s responsible for bringing over 30 infectious diseases — including smallpox, diphtheria, yellow fever and syphilis — to the Indigenous people of the Americas. The diseases killed nearly 95% of the estimated Indigenous population in Hispaniola by 1517.

The total number of deaths that resulted from the introduction of these diseases is still unknown, but an estimated 80-95% of the Indigenous populations were completely decimated after just 100 years of European settlement. The estimated population of Indigenous people in Hispaniola dropped from 300,000 people to just over 11,000 in the decade after Columbus’ death.

It is because of these grim details that RIAC has communicated to the mayor that his dialogue regarding the statue’s cultural implications has not adequately included Indigenous individuals. RIAC demanded on June 27 that the city remove the statue within two days, but the city did not meet that deadline.

Following Walsh’s announcement that the city will take down the statue, a group of enraged Italian Americans said they’re considering legal action to halt its removal, which they view as disrespectful.

The Italian American residents of Syracuse see Columbus as someone who represents the contributions they’ve made to the U.S. Many feel that taking the monument down will erase an important portion of history.

Though Columbus is celebrated as a hero in Italian American communities across the country, he is also seen as someone who caused the greatest harm to Indigenous people globally. He can still be influential to some, but a monument commemorating him is not necessary.

Allowing his statue to stand would harm the Indigenous People of the Syracuse community by serving as a constant reminder of the pain suffered by their families for generations.

Samantha Kolb is an environmental studies major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at sakolb@syr.edu. She can be followed on Twitter at @SamiiKolby.

Published on October 20, 2020 at 10:48 pm