Gov. Kathy Hochul walked into a culture clash Tuesday, saying she is considering banishing Native American artwork from the state Capitol building deemed offensive to tribal people.
Hochul’s push to remove negative depictions of Native Americans in artwork comes amid the ongoing campaign to remove statues of explorer Christopher Columbus from public squares or government buildings for their treatment of indigenous people. .
In 2022, New York education officials ordered school districts to abandon Native American mascots deemed racist.
There is a large bust of Columbus, a revered figure among many Italian Americans, chiseled into the “Million Dollar Staircase” in the Capitol building.
Paintings depicting the massacre of Native Americans at the state Capitol building. mordant angus
“All New Yorkers should feel welcome and respected when they visit the State Capitol. Unfortunately, offensive images and distasteful depictions of populations in the art adorning the Capitol can alienate visitors,” Hochul said in his 180-page State of the State 2024 policy book.
“Indigenous peoples, in particular, are often depicted in artwork in a way that reflects harmful racial stereotypes and glorifies violence against Indigenous peoples. “Such representations do not reflect the values of the state of New York,” the governor said.
Albany insiders said New York Native American activists have complained about murals in the governor’s reception room, also known as the “War Room,” that adorn the second-floor ceiling.
Sources inside Albany said Native American activists in New York have complained about the murals in the governor’s reception room. mordant angus
The mural depicts the early battles of New York, the Five Nations of the Iroquois, and former President and Governor Theodore Roosevelt.
There are a number of stills depicting Native Americans in battle with Samuel de Champlain and the French during the 17th century, including one in which a Native American stands next to a comrade who has been killed.
Below another painting of a colonizer fighting a tribesman is the phrase: “Champlain kills the first Indian.”
Hochul said “offensive artistic depictions of indigenous people” are based on “precedents going back more than eighty years” and that it is time for a reassessment.
The push to remove the murals comes amid an ongoing campaign to remove statues of explorer Christopher Columbus from public squares or government buildings. AP
“To ensure that all New Yorkers are welcome at the Capitol, this year Governor Hochul will begin a comprehensive review of the artistic representation of indigenous peoples at the Capitol, with invited participation from representatives of each of the nine indigenous nations,” according to the State. from the State book.
Tribal activists praised Hochul for addressing negative depictions of Native Americans.
JC Seneca, an advisor for the Seneca Nation, said he was disgusted after seeing the panel boast that Champlain killed the tribe’s first member.
“It is boastful to kill my people. They killed many of our people and stole much of our land,” Seneca said.
Hochul said “offensive artistic depictions of indigenous people” are based on “precedents going back more than eighty years.” ANGUS MORDANTE
“We continue fighting for our sovereignty,” he added.
Seneca also said that Columbus should not get a pass.
“Columbus committed many rapes and looting. They need to think about his presence at the state Capitol,” he said.
“The governor is taking a step in the right direction. Removing these negative representations has been part of discussions for many years,” he added.
Hochul’s office said his review focuses on depictions of Native Americans.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn