Who Writes Our History Books?

 Markwildyr.com, Post #236

 Image Courtesy of Pixabay:

 

I was looking through some of my work and discovered this little piece I wrote quite a while ago. I don’t recall the occasion, but it was probably a Columbus Day. I searched through my posts and can’t find where I used it. Ergo, it’s my post for this week. Pretend it’s Columbus Day,

 

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HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY CONQUERORS

 It began with Christopher Columbus, who gave the people the name Indios.

“So tractable, so peaceable, are these people,” Columbus wrote to the King and Queen of Spain, “that I swear to your Majesties, there is not in the world a better nation.”

All of this, of course, was taken as a sign of weakness.

 Opening and closing lines from BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE by Dee Brown

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 “What are we going to do to celebrate Columbus Day?” Mary Helen asked. Sunlight streamed through the schoolroom window and caught in her golden locks.

“Why celebrate the most notorious serial killer in all history?” John Standing’s frown made him look more serious than usual. Why shouldn’t he be serious? He was the only “Indian” in the American History class, although he thought of himself as a Native American.

“Bite your tongue!” Bret Hardy said. “He was the greatest explorer there ever was. Without him, we wouldn’t even be here.” There was some heat behind his words.

“Okay, class, settle down.” Robert Birdsong was too experienced a teacher to permit John’s natural response, which would be something like “That’s okay by me.” He adjusted his black-framed glasses and asked John what he meant.

“Do you know how many millions of people died because of what he and those who came after him did? More millions than in WWII. More than in the holocaust. Hell, it was a holocaust. The first one.”

“Probably not the first, but there’s some truth to what you say.”

“Bull…uh, crap!” Bret said. “All he did was discover a new continent and open it up to Christianity and civilization. You’d still be running around in rawhide and moccasins if it wasn’t for him.”

Birdsong stepped in again as John’s face darkened. “Interesting, isn’t it. History from two points of view. Most of us never think of it like that. There’s an old saying that history is written by the conquerors. And there’s a great deal of truth in that. But over time, things have a way of coming out. Bret has the view of his culture…which is the culture of most of us in this room. John sees things through the prism of his people’s history.”

John spoke up. “And that history looks back over six hundred years of genocide and the wholesale theft of tribal lands.”

“That is undeniable, if one is fair and open-minded,” Birdsong said. “But Bret is equally right when he maintains Columbus was one of our greatest explorers and colonizers.”

“Tell that to the survivors of Wounded Knee,” John said. “When they were finally brought into the Episcopal Mission at Pine Ridge four days after Christmas in 1890, those who were still able to see were greeted by big banner that read: ‘Peace on Earth Good Will to Men.”’

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My reaction to this is about the same as last week’s conclusion. Racism is hell, isn’t it? But doesn't it seem that time often has a way of allowing what really happened to seep to the top... however slowly?

 My contact information is provided below in case anyone wants to drop me a line:

Website and blog: markwildyr.com

Email: markwildyr@aol.com

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Twitter: @markwildyr

Now my mantra: Keep on reading. Keep on writing. You have something to say, so say it!

See you later.

 

 Mark

 New posts the first and third Thursday of the month at 6:00 a.m., US Mountain time.