Tomorrow marks the 514th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to this part of the world. An Italian working in the service of Spain, the navigator died not really knowing nor fully comprehending the enormity of his discovery; a vast pristine swath of land that was quickly conquered and settled by Europeans, causing the death of millions of Native Americans. The so-called "New World" would forever be changed into a strange mix of native culture and overwhelming European tradition, one whose repercussions we are still living with to this very day.After Jesus Christ, Columbus is probably the second most influential human being to have ever lived. Perhaps Leif Ericson was the first European to reach America way before Columbus, but it was Columbus' arrival that really started the ball rolling. The Spaniards, with overwhelming military might came and began setting up their empire, bringing with them disease and greed that was no match for the native peoples. The Aztecs and Inca fell, the Portuguese carved up Brazil, the French and English took their share, and the Western Hemisphere would never be the same ever again. The Native Americans died, in came the African slaves, and hundreds of years of oppression began. All under the guise of converting the "heathens" here to Christianity. Go figure.
We still have pure-blooded Native Americans to this day. They are often poor, neglected, and forgotten for the much more progressive European way of life. We all speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French to get ahead now. Their native languages, their way of life are but a curiosity of a glorious past that was. No more buffalo roaming the plains, dreamcatchers, or worship of nature as it once was. The world their ancestors once knew, has been irrevocably transformed into an extension of the Western world. Thousands of native languages have died forever, becoming as extinct as the people who once spoke them.
I often have mixed feelings about all of this. At times I feel very proud of my Hispanic heritage, at others, ashamed of all this conquest. Powerless. Incapable of turning back time. Highly westernized. Speaking European languages. Wondering what my true identity is at times, when I am such a mutt at this point. We all are really. It is too late. The natives were just not strong enough were they? Survival of the fittest they say, but a Holocaust was committed here.
Alas, the legacy of Columbus is one wrought with intense contradictions. I honestly don't think we should "celebrate" it at all, but it has to be acknowledged nonetheless. History was most definitely made when those three ships: La Niña, La Pinta, and La Santa María made it here.
The "Gods" had landed.
5 comments:
Interesting take. Gives one pause to think. Like the Halloween look now! Go Elvira!
I find this particularly interesting given yeserday's post of pictures at Pachunga. The natives do take theirs back sooner or later- in this case, much later.
As much damage as the conquistadors did, their influenze viras was the most potent weapon- survival of the fittest or defeat through the sickness?
One need only examine the art these various native cultures of the Americas to understand how amazing these civilizations and people were. Truly unbelievable, and in many cases also incredibly advanced within the realms of science and medecine.
Great post. It was wrote beautifully. I am 1/4 native american and I dont know alot about my heritage, basically what tribe I was descended from and thats a little sad. Its like we all forgot about our past. I mean it was bound to happen and I think we have tried to preserve as much of our heritage as we could. Smaller tribes were virtually wiped out and couldnt really fight back so I think they really had no choice.
LOVE elvira too, awesome pic, shes on my site too, lol!
I am a mutt too. I have Italian, Spaniard, African, Mayan, and Guarani blood in me, to name the most conspicous only. But I see myself as Latin American, and this, for better or worse, was created by that discovery event you discuss. Sometimes I think about what it all meant to the people who owned this continent in pre-Columbian times, and your post beautifully describes it much better than I could. It is depressing. But at the same time I see, especially being in the Amazon now, that there is a concern to recover and/or not lose the multitude of native American cultures. Unfortunately sometimes it is just for economic/political reasons rather than identity. Well, global and total integration to the capitalist world started by European colonization is practically a fact these days...
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