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Letter: Indians better off thanks to Columbus
Thursday, October 14, 2004

Ed. Note: Larry Greene, the author of the letter linked below, frequently appears on the Letter to the Editor pages of The New London Day. He writes negatively about the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and sovereignty in general.

"The National Museum of the American Indian should have a statue of Christopher Columbus prominently displayed. After all, he mistakenly identified the inhabitants of this hemisphere as “Indians” and began a chain of events that transformed the former primitive — often mortal enemies — into one large collection of peaceful naturalists.

Fictionalizing was common among historians long before becoming faddish with the news media.

From what I've read, the museum relies on a Dan Rather-like portrayal of history. By that, I mean Mr. Rather contrived events to fit his values just as the politically-correct decided what to put in and leave out of the museum.

Life was a daily struggle of survival for pre-Columbian Indians, not only for food and shelter but from enemy tribes. Life wasn't noble savages living in Eden. But for European influence, the Indian's daily struggle would not have changed."

Get the Story:
Larry Greene: Columbus Changed Indians For The Better (The New London Day 10/10
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