Originally published at: In Mexico City, a Columbus statue comes down and a one of an indigenous woman goes up | Boing Boing
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Good for them.
That is one bizarre-looking photoshop, though.
Do you have the article for that?
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Good riddance. He was a shitty navigator, a worse human being, and on top of everything else he died years before Europeans even knew Mexico existed.
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I’m curious too but the best I could find was this. The Olmec head “was derided as a token gesture for its lack of authenticity, prompting Ms Sheinbaum to cancel it and opt instead for the Young Woman of Amajac.”
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That top map reminded me of the absolutely gorgeous Native Lands map that was showcased here a few weeks ago.
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I wonder if there are any statues of Conquistadores in the Americas that have been replaced.
I don’t know about the Americas, but the last time I was in Medellín, Hernán Cortés was still standing tall, in all his armor, foot on the cultural symbols of the Mexica.
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The issue with the Olmec head is that it was going to be made by a male white sculptor and several indigenous associations complained about that. Also, the Olmec head was a mixture of several non related cultures (olmec, nahuatl and others.) This is the most reputable source I found (In spanish)
https://www.forbes.com.mx/sheinbaum-recula-sobre-tlali-en-reforma-un-comite-elegira-escultura/
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Meanwhile, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the US, police attacked peaceful Indigenous protestors with sound cannons & arrested more than 150, including elders, youths, & people in wheelchairs, outside – guess where? – the Capitol Building in DC. The protestors were asking the Biden Administration to pick a side – People Vs. Fossil Fuels – and declare a Climate Crisis.
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When even your portraitist can’t take the evil out of your eyes, you know there’s an issue.
ETA:
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Thank you for taking the time to share and explain! Sounds like the previous plan was def problematic. Hiring a white sculptor for a statue honoring indigenous people to replace Columbus? How did that ever get past the pitch stage?
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Yes, it was a big mistake, the sculpture has been always pitched as an sculpture to honor the indigenous females. And they hired a male that made a sculpture that doesn’t look like an indigenous female. The sculptor mixed traits of several cultures Olmecs that lived from 2000 BC to Nahuas from 1400 AC and it ended looking weird. Indigenous associations called it a mess and people made fun calling it alien looking. How did that ever get past the pitch stage? The answer is always dumb politics
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Can hardly wait for the day when Columbus, Ohio replaces its statue with one of an indigenous person. Maybe I’m just too progressive for the state.
http://ohiostatehouse.org/about/capitol-square/statues-and-monuments/christopher-columbus-discovery-monument
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