Today is Columbus Day, in many of the United States of America, commemorating the voyages of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón: 1451-1506) of Genoa, in the service of the Spanish Crown.
(The term, “Americas” was coined after Amerigo Vespucci who is recorded as being the first European explorer to circumnavigate the globe.) (CORRECTION: Magellan is credited as the first European explorer to circumnavigate the globe. “Vespucci simply financed or led several voyages which charted much of the coast of the Americas; thus they were named after him.” Thank you, Charles Black of the First Nations Learning Center, for reminding me. PVR)
Contrary to popular mythology, Columbus was not the first European explorer to land in the Western Hemisphere. Celtic and Nordic seafarers – possibly others – had landed, long before him.
A more accurate way of remembering Columbus would be as the man who opened the gates to the Age of European Exploration and Empire – which eventually led to the foundation of most of the Nation-States of today.
The price that was paid for these “developments”, however, was dear, indeed. The destruction of the previous nations of Africa and “the Americas” and the “Westernisation” of most of the world are prime examples.
Perhaps, an even greater effect is the transformation of Human Society from a need based structure to a greed driven directive.
We now have a world based upon the “Profit Incentive”, epitomised in the World Trade Organisation where corporate benefit is the prime motivation.
Columbus “discovered” a land rich in natural resources – including gold.
The peoples of what is now Latin America used gold primarily as a decorative agent but to the Europeans, it was their most valued commodity. The gold of “the Americas” was first stolen by the Spanish and Portugese authorities whose vessels were then raided by British and French privateers or “pirates”. Soon, the Dutch also joined in the fray and the Age of Empire was born.
Today is Columbus Day, a time of necessary reflection.
Perhaps, it is time we acknowledged the first victims of the more than 500 years of continuing Empire, by setting aside a Native American Day. A small thing to do, since the exploitation of the American Indian is still with us, while only the results of Columbus remain.
Paul V. Rafferty
Please also see:
'Corporism': The Systemic Disease that Destroys Civilization, by Ken Reiner
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=885&blz=1
NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR NATIVE AMERICANS http://www.PetitionOnline.com/indian/
Columbus Day: Celebrating a holocaust
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096409671
American Indian Genocide Museum http://www.aigenom.com
“The Sand Creek Massacre: A Lesson From American History”
a documentary film by Don Vasicek
http://www.donvasicek.com/video.html
American Holocaust
The conquest of the New World
Prologue (from the book)By Dr. David E. Stannard
http://www.aigenom.com/AmericanHolocaust.html
Newcomb: On America’s pathological behavior toward Native peoples
http://www.aigenom.com/Newcomb1.html
Why Celebrate Columbus Day ? asks the United Confederation of Taino People http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1961&blz=1
That Unfinished 1973 Oscar Speech by MARLON BRANDO
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1960&blz=1
COLORADO AIM AND ALLIES BLOCKADE COLUMBUS “CONVOY OF CONQUEST”
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1959&blz=1
Week of Action to Stop the Genocide of First Peoples
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1958&blz=1
Lewis and Clark ‘Genocide Re-enactors’ Told to Turn Around,
notes Brenda Norrell
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1957&blz=1
Western Shoshone 'Payoff' Bill - A 'Legal' Disgrace !
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1775&blz=1
U.S. COURT IN LANDMARK COBELL V. NORTON INDIAN TRUST SUIT RULES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MUST PROVIDE DETAILED NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS BEFORE THE SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAND
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1946&blz=1
MEDIA LENS: Bringing Hell to Haiti - Part 2 + Aristide Kidnapped
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1491&blz=1
THE ANCIENT CELTS CAME TO AMERICA http://www.wolflodge.org/visibiliti/metis/celts.htm
CANADIAN VIKINGS http://www.usask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/vikings.htm
Medieval Sourcebook:
Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html
Christophorus Columbus (Cristóbal Colón)
http://www.win.tue.nl/cs/fm/engels/discovery/columbus.html
Christopher Columbus
http://www.theramp.net/kohr4/HEROES.html#Christopher%20Columbus
Amerigo Vespucci http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15384b.htm
Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage Round the World, 1519-1522 CE
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1519magellan.html
Columbus Day http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct12.html
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD DAYS
http://www.theramp.net/kohr4/index.html
First Nations Learning Center
http://s91580865.onlinehome.us/underconstruction/index.html
(The term, “Americas” was coined after Amerigo Vespucci who is recorded as being the first European explorer to circumnavigate the globe.) (CORRECTION: Magellan is credited as the first European explorer to circumnavigate the globe. “Vespucci simply financed or led several voyages which charted much of the coast of the Americas; thus they were named after him.” Thank you, Charles Black of the First Nations Learning Center, for reminding me. PVR)
Contrary to popular mythology, Columbus was not the first European explorer to land in the Western Hemisphere. Celtic and Nordic seafarers – possibly others – had landed, long before him.
A more accurate way of remembering Columbus would be as the man who opened the gates to the Age of European Exploration and Empire – which eventually led to the foundation of most of the Nation-States of today.
The price that was paid for these “developments”, however, was dear, indeed. The destruction of the previous nations of Africa and “the Americas” and the “Westernisation” of most of the world are prime examples.
Perhaps, an even greater effect is the transformation of Human Society from a need based structure to a greed driven directive.
We now have a world based upon the “Profit Incentive”, epitomised in the World Trade Organisation where corporate benefit is the prime motivation.
Columbus “discovered” a land rich in natural resources – including gold.
The peoples of what is now Latin America used gold primarily as a decorative agent but to the Europeans, it was their most valued commodity. The gold of “the Americas” was first stolen by the Spanish and Portugese authorities whose vessels were then raided by British and French privateers or “pirates”. Soon, the Dutch also joined in the fray and the Age of Empire was born.
Today is Columbus Day, a time of necessary reflection.
Perhaps, it is time we acknowledged the first victims of the more than 500 years of continuing Empire, by setting aside a Native American Day. A small thing to do, since the exploitation of the American Indian is still with us, while only the results of Columbus remain.
Paul V. Rafferty
Please also see:
'Corporism': The Systemic Disease that Destroys Civilization, by Ken Reiner
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=885&blz=1
NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR NATIVE AMERICANS http://www.PetitionOnline.com/indian/
Columbus Day: Celebrating a holocaust
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096409671
American Indian Genocide Museum http://www.aigenom.com
“The Sand Creek Massacre: A Lesson From American History”
a documentary film by Don Vasicek
http://www.donvasicek.com/video.html
American Holocaust
The conquest of the New World
Prologue (from the book)By Dr. David E. Stannard
http://www.aigenom.com/AmericanHolocaust.html
Newcomb: On America’s pathological behavior toward Native peoples
http://www.aigenom.com/Newcomb1.html
Why Celebrate Columbus Day ? asks the United Confederation of Taino People http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1961&blz=1
That Unfinished 1973 Oscar Speech by MARLON BRANDO
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1960&blz=1
COLORADO AIM AND ALLIES BLOCKADE COLUMBUS “CONVOY OF CONQUEST”
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1959&blz=1
Week of Action to Stop the Genocide of First Peoples
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1958&blz=1
Lewis and Clark ‘Genocide Re-enactors’ Told to Turn Around,
notes Brenda Norrell
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1957&blz=1
Western Shoshone 'Payoff' Bill - A 'Legal' Disgrace !
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1775&blz=1
U.S. COURT IN LANDMARK COBELL V. NORTON INDIAN TRUST SUIT RULES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MUST PROVIDE DETAILED NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS BEFORE THE SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAND
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1946&blz=1
MEDIA LENS: Bringing Hell to Haiti - Part 2 + Aristide Kidnapped
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1491&blz=1
THE ANCIENT CELTS CAME TO AMERICA http://www.wolflodge.org/visibiliti/metis/celts.htm
CANADIAN VIKINGS http://www.usask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/vikings.htm
Medieval Sourcebook:
Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html
Christophorus Columbus (Cristóbal Colón)
http://www.win.tue.nl/cs/fm/engels/discovery/columbus.html
Christopher Columbus
http://www.theramp.net/kohr4/HEROES.html#Christopher%20Columbus
Amerigo Vespucci http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15384b.htm
Ferdinand Magellan's Voyage Round the World, 1519-1522 CE
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1519magellan.html
Columbus Day http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct12.html
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD DAYS
http://www.theramp.net/kohr4/index.html
First Nations Learning Center
http://s91580865.onlinehome.us/underconstruction/index.html