On October the 11th 2021 Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States of America. This year Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day is occurring on the same day, as Indigenous People’s Day is celebrated on the second Monday within the month of October. For this purpose I decided to offer my good wishes to all who mark / celebrate either Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day, especially as an opportunity to create the awareness that the relations between the indigenous and expeditions that were first carried out by Christopher Columbus were essential to the development of the mutual relations, goods, services and partnerships.
Christopher Columbus is vital to American history and heritage. Whist Columbus was an Italian, his expeditions were financed by the Spanish Crown and began with the approval from the Catholic Monarchs. Columbus’ first contact of what was then called the Amerindians was in the Bahamas on October 12th 1942. This territory was known as Quisqueya. Columbus renamed this territory as Española and claimed these lands for the Spanish Crown (Gibson,2019, p. 9). October 12th is the official holiday celebrated in Spain to mark this occasion, known as Dia de La Hispanidad.
“To start from the beginning, we must, of course, go back to Columbus. Spain and Italy must jointly share in our debt to him for making American Art possible by making America Known to Spain.”
(Hamlin, 1922, p. 255)
I was excited to see and hear the traditional indigenous drumming that took place at the start of the Kansas Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills NFL game on October 10th 2021. To note the efforts that present to preserve various history / heritages.
“Indigenous peoples rights constitute a sui generis category of rights that arise from a positive law system. They are ‘pre-exisiting rights in the sense that they are not developed from the legal system of surrounding states but [they] arise sui generis from the condition of indigenous peoples as distinctive societies with the aspiration to survive as such’”
(Gilbert, 2007).
But it is with this thought I began to think about the indigenous protests for honoring lands that are taking place in Washington DC., USA. This protest could also be claimed by the Spanish or the lands that were collectively named as New Spain. A good example of this idea is the Chavez Ravine, where the world renowned and famous Los Angeles Dodgers (LA Dodgers) stadium stands today (2019, p. 364 – 366).
Chavez Ravine was the name of the area before the construction of the stadium. Chavez Ravine was named after Julian A. Chavez. Chavez was a land owner and elected member to the early councils of L.A, he was born in Abiquiú, Santa Fe de Nuevo México which were the Internal Provinces of New Spain. The same could also be thought about with regards to The Pueblo. The Pueblo were the very first dwellings of the Spanish people who arrived in America, located in the Canyon de Chelly National Monuments in Arizona, and the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado!
The above are only two (2) examples that I have provided. There are many more historical sites throughout America, Mexico and Latin America that can especially be called for a protest for the preservation of the Hispanic / Spanish heritage of America / Americas. To also note that these views are not critical or anyones heritage / history, but rather to create awakeing of the histories that have been silenced, that also deserve to be included within the story of America’s formation – The United States of America.
Within this blog post I have conveyed a sense of shared respect for Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples day, however; there is a sway to reveal what is silenced as well as to note the deep sadness I felt to see the anger and violent actions from the toppling of Christopher Columbus statues in America.
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References:
Gibson, C. (2019). EL NORTE The Epic and Forgotten History of Hispanic North America. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press.
Gilbert, J. (2007). Indigenous Rights in the Making: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. International Journal of Minority and Group Rights. 14, 207-230.
HAMLIN, A. D. F. “THE AMERICAN DEBT TO SPANISH ART.” The American Magazine of Art, vol. 13, no. 9, 1922, pp. 285–287.
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With Love & Kindness! 🙂
{HEART'S, FOREVER!} 
