Think Confederate Monuments Are Racist? Consider Pioneer Monuments

[turbinetree]

by Cynthia Prescott

The Conversation


In San Francisco, there is an an 800-ton monument that retells California history, from the Spanish missions to American settlement. Several bronze sculptures and relief plaques depict American Indians, white miners, missionaries and settlers. A female figure symbolizing white culture stands atop a massive stone pillar.

The design of the “pioneer monument” was celebrated in newspapers across the country when it was erected in 1894. Today, however, activists argue that the monument – particularly its depiction of a Spanish missionary and Mexican “vaquero,” or cowboy, towering over an American Indian – is demeaning to American Indians.

Should the city take down part of this 125-year-old monument?

Many cities are removing or reinterpreting their Confederate monuments, with the understanding that they commemorate racism. But few Americans realize that pioneer monuments placed across the country are also racist.

https://truthout.org/articles/think-confederate-monuments-are-racist-consider-pioneer-monuments/

[hlthe2b]

1. I'd gladly see all the controversial monuments taken down and replaced with those honoring

our First Americans.

[Tipperary]

2. People are gonna hate disowning their pioneer roots.

[Sneederbunk]

3. Demeaning but accurate.

Since when in history have Americans of all races not been demeaning to Native Americans? Revisionist history is hard.

[PSPS]

4. LOL. Textbook whatboutism. In fact, "consider" is a literal standin for "what about" in the title.

[mikehiggins]

5. Aww, YUP, Pilgrim. Dump the monuments to our historical genocide but don't ever let it be forgot. n/

[appalachiablue]

6. White, European genocide of Native Americans, another horrible

Last edited Sat Aug 11, 2018, 07:19 PM - Edit history (1)

part of our racist history that needs to be known and remembered. But heroic monuments to white settler pioneer heritage and conquest are problematic and should be removed, or replaced with memorials to Native American culture and history, and to settler history without depiction of Native submission and defeat.

The CSA monuments- take all that are in public spaces down and retain some in private places if appropriately handled.
After the Civil War memorials honoring the CSA and leaders were constructed by womens' and white citizen groups and authorities in the repressive Jim Crow period that followed the Reconstruction era ending in 1877. In those decades there was also a desire to try to heal and unify the nation that had been torn apart by the conflict that killed so many people.

In the 1950s and 1960s during a time of school integration and the Civil Rights movement, and the centennial of the Civil War, there was a revival of Confederate memorials and naming of schools, roads and other public properties after CSA military officers.