The thirst for cheap labor and the blood of the indigenous

by Rhonda J Mangus | October 12, 2009 at 07:00 pm

398 views | 26 Recommendations | 11 comments

The thirst for cheap labor and the blood of the indigenous is another part of American History that little is spoken about.

As many people across America celebrated Columbus Day today, October 12th, some indigenous peoples Celebrated Indigenous People's Day with an Annual Papal Bulls Burning, an event that seeks the formal revocation of the 1493 papal bull "Inter Caetera", while others continued to raise awareness to the often unspoken legacy of Christopher Columbus by asking people to reconsider why we celebrate Columbus Day and not Indigenous Peoples' Day and to examine the legacy of Christopher Columbus.

From the moment a sailor aboard the Pinta sighted land from the sea, on October 12, 1492, the course of indigenous history was forever changed. Upon landing on what is now the Bahamas, once known as Guanahani, Columbus encountered indigenous peoples of the Lucayan, Taíno or Arawak, nations. Peaceful and friendly, Columbus and his Spanish explorers manipulated their hospitality and mercilessly slaughtered, enslaved, and stole lands in the name of the Spanish crown. He wrote of them in his journal, "They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them."

In his four voyages to the Americas, traveling extensively throughout the Caribbean and Central America, each voyage became more deadly than the first. Within two years of his initial landing historians estimate that half of what is believed to have been 250,000 Taino people were massacred. Remaining survivors were either sold into European slavery, forced to mine gold for the Spaniards in the Americas, and many later died of disease.

Even after Columbus' death, the brutality he implemented on the island of Hispañola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti) endured. By 1550, only a few hundred Taino remained in Hispañola and in Mexico and estimated indigenous population of 25 million was decimated to 1 million by 1605.

This drastic decrease in the indigenous populations of the Americas, later brought about the trans-Atlantic African slave trade, and was followed by indentured Chinese labor after slavery's abolition. The thirst of cheap labor and the blood of the indigenous, Africans, and Chinese, still stain the soil that is the foundation of development in the New World.

However, this is not the history that is taught in schools throughout the United States. Our children do not learn of the brutality of the explorers, of Native American history and its traditions, nor do we pay homage the cultures that ruled for centuries before Columbus' arrival. Instead every second Monday of every October of every year, we give our youth a day off to remember and reflect on the "accomplishments" of Christopher Columbus, a nautical pioneer, explorer and a man who ordered the murder and enslavement of thousands.

Despite the 1990 Congressional resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month, we have yet honor the indigenous peoples of the Americas with a national holiday. How many of us even recognize and/or celebrate American Indian Heritage Month annually?

What we have failed to realize in the United States is that Native American history is our history. If we are to call ourselves "Americans" we must honor and respect the first peoples of the Americas. So on this day, let us reconsider why we celebrate Columbus Day and not Indigenous People's Day.

Related story on NowPublic by this Author: Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day - Annual Papal Bulls Burning

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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 19:40 on October 12th, 2009

Thank you for this informative story on the formative years of the New World. Nowadays Columbus' actions in the New World would be classified as genocide.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 19:53 on October 12th, 2009

Thank you! You're very welcome, albertacowpoke. No doubt Columbus' actions would be classified as genocide -- very cruel, very brutish.

Hugh Askew

at 02:25 on October 13th, 2009

Not taught? All of my kids learned/learn that version.

What i have read would suggest that disease was, by far, the biggest factor in the decimation of native Americans. An understanding of disease and immunity, or an understanding of how it would affect a previously unexposed population, was completely unknown at the time.

Slavery and warfare were widely practiced among native Americans . While i hardly approve of either, nor applaud the methods of the Spanish, the actions of the Spanish, and their sensibilities, were hardly outside the norm - they were simply more efficient than their competitors - and much more efficient than the native people.

The African slave trade was most certainly repulsive, but again, the practice was widely accepted and practiced in Africa. It was, for the most part, Africans selling Africans to the Europeans that enabled the slave trade. It should be remembered, that it wasn't those in Africa that put an stop to the practice of slavery. It is a fact that humans are still sold as slaves in some areas of Africa - especially among the Muslim peoples.

To project our sensibilities to cultures and peoples 500 hundred years ago is hardly reasonable. Carried far enough, we could use that reasoning to condemn France, Britain, and the US, for imposing their will on the Germans after WW I, or on them and the Japanese after WW II.

Babel-Fish

at 03:48 on October 13th, 2009

Arab slave traders from north Africa were selling the slaves I believe?

Germany was the one that started the first world war and the second to expand its borders. Japan joined in so it could expand its borders both the first and second World War seemingly seems to be fairly good reason to impose rights to restrict War mongering nations as an attempt to stop them imposing their will in trying to create a big empire by force.

I really can not see the that the genocide of the native red indian or that of any native concerning the empire building of the European nations can have any connection to both of the world wars?

Any time genocide has taken place it should be reconised as being a crime and those that carried it out criminals so I feel we should project our sensibilities to culture and people 500 and even further back. It shows how brutal so called civilized humans can be we can be worst than animals and we allow ourselves to be. Unfortunately we are easily indoctrinated by the imposed religious and political based indoctrination of the rich elitist.

All this cruelty happen 500 years ago and Columbus was part and parcel to it and seemingly enjoyed the power and the wealth that could be made out of cruelty and even murder on a massive scale. The fact is two many so called Hero's where really cruel bastards and just looking after their self interests.

Hugh Askew

at 04:33 on October 13th, 2009

Perhaps you missed the analogy? To condemn Columbus, or the colonizers of the New World, because they acted on the sensibilities of their day, would be akin to condemning the victors of The World Wars for imposing martial law on the losers. The US forced massive change on Japan after their surrender. Government changed, industry changed, society changed - under duress.

How will we be judged for that 500 years from now if traditional Japanese culture has disappeared?

Babel-Fish

at 05:42 on October 13th, 2009

Myy view on Columbus stands I am sorry to say, and I really think the duress after world War II was required. In the end both of the former enemies benefited from that duress non where slaughter or enslaved and both nation rose on the ashes of their defeat. However that never happened especially in the USA nor Canada and for an extremely long time those that survived the slaughter suffered and had to live as second rated citizens in their own native lands.

I can not see a relationship to Columbus nor those in his elk there after in the history of the conquering the new worlds. (Concerning the first or second world Wars.) In my opinion Columbus should be seen in his true color of being a murdering cruel sadistic criminal who had little regard for the natives in the lands he helped to conquer.

German elitist nationalist was was actual changed by Hitler and his cronies then a capitalistic democratic politics was imposed. The actual general German culture and way of life has not changed, the love for beer and good wine, wine cellars, old folk songs, hunting, sport etc is the same. Both Hitler and the Allies after the war did not change the German culture.

Japan is much the same it was just the elitism and indoctrination that was changed the culture remains very in tact more so than the German one.

Most natives in the conquered new worlds cultures where changed mainly by imposed religions the native red Indian has tried hard to keep the original culture its been a losing battle and many tribes made efforts have revived their cultures

No I still really can not see your point of reference, but I of course respect your opinion just beg to differ on the seen evidence.

Hugh Askew

at 07:21 on October 13th, 2009

Wasn't trying to compare the germans with anyone. Was attempting to show how our views change over time. Obviously i failed.

Pat Garcia

at 08:56 on October 13th, 2009

Good piece Rhonda! I appreciate reading it as a descendant of indigenous population of the Americas, we were conquered and we suffered.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 19:00 on October 15th, 2009

Thank you, pat! I believe that your people were conquered and did suffer, and that death by disease was secondary to mass murdering of the indigenous peoples. My experience of the educational system in educating America's youth is that it is very selective in its teaching of the History of the Americas. Thankfully we have a platform where we can bring these matters to the public's attention:).

Thanks again!