Aboriginal Rights

» woorama - cristofero colombo

i've got nothing against italians. some of my best friends are italians... (ha ha)

no, truly, i used to work with italians, and i learned to speak italian, and even studied italian language and literature at university for a while. i'm even researching an article on the "cavernicoli" indigenous people of italy - a group the fascists labeled "la vergogna d'italia" (the shame of italy).

well, now that i've established my italian sympathiser credentials as a nice disclaimer (i notice that's what non-indigenous people always do before denigrating aborigines) i'd just like to say that cristofero colombo was a complete mongrel - but that's just my opinion.

i think we should also note that america was named after an italian called amerigo vespucci. why don't we ever hear about him? probably because he was a nice guy or something - not the image the dominant culture wants to promote in the ongoing colonisation and destruction of turtle island.

i'm currently trying to talk a native american friend into writing a response to my friend nanette's article, showing the indigenous viewpoint. it would be good to get some healthy debate going here - one rule - nobody is allowed to insult the living.

i know nanette croce well - and i think she undersold herself. i know she is a big supporter of aboriginal rights, and has committed a lot of her life, time and resources to this cause. her own internal conflict over columbus day must be terrible - i encourage people to respect this before posting responses here.

however, i also ask that people respect the pain and anguish experienced by american indigenous people at the hands of columbus and subsequent invaders for whom he paved the way. pls allow room for some expression of this.

-- posted by woorama