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Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood

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Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger12-7-2017Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author SaysExplorer MisunderstoodPublic Affairs, Roger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationPublic Affairs, Roger Williams University, "Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood" (2017).Featured News Story. 228.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/22810/29/2018 Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/amid-calls-replace-columbus-day-author-says-explorer-misunderstood 1/4 News ArchiveAmid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author SaysExplorer MisunderstoodScholar discusses Columbus’ religious motivation as students urge changingColumbus Day to Indigenous Peoples DayBrown University research scholar Carol Delaney came to RogerWilliams University on Nov. 30. About 75 students lined up outsidethe University Library before the event and packed the Mary Te tWhite room during her speech, peacefully protesting while holdingsigns, petitions and letters.December 7, 2017 Public A airsBRISTOL, R.I. –  Brown University research scholar Carol Delaney came to Roger Williams Universityon Nov. 30 to speak about her book, “Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem: How Religion Drovethe Voyages that Led to America.”Delaney’s speech took place as a group of RWU students has been calling for the university toreplace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. About 75 students lined up outside theUniversity Library before the event and packed the Mary Te t White room during her speech,peacefully protesting while holding signs, petitions and letters. “They’re not listening to our voice,”sophomore Brianna Messa said before the lecture.The event, which concluded with a question-and-answer session, underscored widespreadagreement on the need for an Indigenous Peoples Day but sharp disagreement about Columbus’legacy and whether Columbus Day should be replaced at RWU.10/29/2018 Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/amid-calls-replace-columbus-day-author-says-explorer-misunderstood 2/4“I just want to congratulate us all for having a very di cult conversation, in the sense of it being avery di cult topic, and doing it in a very civil fashion,” RWU President Donald J. Farish saida erward. “I think we are showing America how you take up these questions. We are not done.There is more to come.”Delaney, an emerita professor at Stanford University who was assistant director of Harvard’s Centerfor the Study of World Religions, began her talk by saying she favors an Indigenous Peoples Day.“As an anthropologist, I think we have to do a lot more,” she said. “I’d like to see the whole countrydevote the next few years learning about the more than 300 Native groups who are living in ourmidst.”But, Delaney said, “People also need to learn more about Columbus because he is not the man thatmost people think he is. So I support an Indigenous Peoples Day – but not as a replacement forColumbus Day.”Most people know very little about Columbus, Delaney said. “Very few have read his diary, hisletters and his memos. Before I began my research, I, too, knew hardly anything about him except‘In 1492 he sailed the ocean blue.’ ”Born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy, Columbus was part of a Catholic society that believed Jerusalemneeded to be in Christian hands so Christ could return and believers could be raptured up toheaven, and Columbus believed he had an important role to play in that apocalyptic drama, shesaid. Thinking he was headed for Asia, he hoped to convince the Grand Khan, who’d expressed aninterest in Christianity, to launch a crusade from the East while Europeans would come from theWest to take Jerusalem.“The purpose of the voyage was to set up trading posts to obtain gold and spices that would nance the crusade. There was absolutely no intention of killing or enslaving people belonging tothe greatest empire in the world,” Delaney said. “Columbus was con dent and began to think ofhimself as the Christ bearer – like his namesake, St. Christopher – carrying the Christian religionacross the waters.”In 1492, Columbus reached the Bahamas, believing it was East Asia, and recorded that date as Oct.12, using the Julian calendar, but it would be Oct. 22 under today’s Gregorian calendar, she said.“So one suggestion is that maybe Indigenous Peoples Day should be Oct. 22.”Delaney said, “Columbus’ impulse toward the Native people was one of benevolence andfriendship, motivated by a concern for their conversion.” He became friends with a chie ain namedGuacanagari, and she said, “As far as we know, Columbus never killed a native, took a nativewoman or had a slave.”But Columbus was annoyed that sailors were “rapacious” when they went ashore, and Spanishleaders such as Francisco de Bobodilla and Nicolas de Ovando did do terrible things to theindigenous people, she said.10/29/2018 Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/amid-calls-replace-columbus-day-author-says-explorer-misunderstood 3/4During a question-and-answer session, a student asked if Delaney knew about the states, cities andother universities that celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day – including theschool where she works, Brown University.Delaney reiterated that she supports Indigenous Peoples Day but not as a replacement forColumbus Day. “If it were Bobodilla or Ovando Day, yes, I would say immediately; they were theones who did horrible things.” But, she said, “The only people Columbus killed were two Spaniardswho had done bad things.”Another student cited Boston University Professor Howard Zinn’s book, which says Columbus wrotein his log that the indigenous people “do not bear arms … They have no iron. Their spears are madeof cane. They would make  ne servants. With 50 men we could subjugate them all and make themdo whatever we want.”Zinn also quoted Columbus as writing: “As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the  rst island which Ifound, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give meinformation of whatever there is in these parts.”“I have looked at Zinn’s book,” Delaney replied. “I thought it was terrible.” She said Columbus “didtalk about the weapons that they had were not very good compared to the kinds that the Christianshad, but that was not to subjugate and take them.”Another student asked if Delaney agreed that Columbus stands as a symbol of the North Americancolonization that resulted in the destruction of the culture and took many of the lives of indigenouspeople.Delaney said, “Do you think this continent, this country, would have remained only for the NativeAmericans? Somebody is going to come here – somebody at some point – whether it’s Columbusor somebody else.”The student said that doesn’t excuse the actions that followed. Delaney said, “Good intentions canhave terrible results.”RWU history Professor Charlotte Carrington-Farmer noted that RWU is “named for a man whoviolently opposes converting indigenous people.” Roger Williams, Rhode Island’s founder,declared that forced worship “stinks in God’s nostrils.” So, she asked, “How can we celebrateColumbus, if your point is about religious conversion, when our namesake is strongly against that?”A student asked, “Should we actually be investing all this time and energy celebrating him when henever set foot on this soil?” Delaney said Amerigo Vespucci never set foot on U.S. soil, either, butAmerica derives its name from him.Another student asked what purpose Columbus Day serves if his goal was to fund the conquest ofJerusalem. Delaney said, “Hs he is the  rst person that crossed the ocean that nobody thoughtcould be crossed, and it was a very courageous thing to have done.”10/29/2018 Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood | Roger Williams Universityhttps://www.rwu.edu/news/news-archive/amid-calls-replace-columbus-day-author-says-explorer-misunderstood 4/4The student cited earlier journeys by Nordic people. Delaney said, “They did not cross across thewide ocean. They went up around Greenland and Iceland, maybe to Newfoundland, we don’tknow. I think it’s quite an extraordinary feat.”A student questioned why the Nov. 30 event wasn’t structured as a debate, presentingscholars representing both sides of a controversial topic. “We were told that you only agreed to alecture-style event,” the student said. “What are your thoughts about critical-thinking dialogues andwhy do we not have such an event tonight?”Delaney said she didn’t think a debate format would allow her to make the points she wanted tomake about Columbus. “I think that there are things in the lecture and in my book that you’ve neverheard about,” but “I would be happy to come back and have another kind of a debate, if that iswhat you would like,” she said.As the event came to a close, RWU Trustee Mario J. Gabelli thanked Delaney and said he was proudof the RWU students. The world has seen “less civility in dialogue over the last several years,” but“we have the right dialogue here tonight,” he said. He o ered a free copy of Delaney’s book toanyone who wants one and said, “If you have a book that you’d like to share, I will read it, as well.”ACADEMICS ALUMNI LIFE @ RWU

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Amid Calls to Replace Columbus Day, Author Says Explorer Misunderstood

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