False narrative of Columbus

The truth matters. Words matter. It is well-documented Columbus spearheaded a massive slave trade and perpetuated one of the most brutal genocidal campaigns in human history. First-person accounts describe slaughters of entire tribes, games to see how swiftly a human body could be cut in half with a single swing of the Spanish sword, rape and child sex trafficking.

He cut off the hands of males who did not produce a daily quota of gold dust. So horrific was his treatment of indigenous people, Spain arrested him and briefly tossed him in jail. You know it’s bad, when the country responsible for The Inquisition thinks your cruelty and savagery has gone too far.

Columbus writes: “… a hundred castellanos are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm, and there are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from 9 to 10 are now in demand and for all ages a good price must be paid.”

Ending the false narrative about Columbus and speaking the truth is step one toward reconciliation. Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere survived the largest holocaust in human history. It’s time to celebrate their resilience, culture and beauty.

JoAnn Kauffman

Spokane