A San Francisco board decided Wednesday to remove a 19th century statue that activists say is racist and demeaning to indigenous people.
The decision by the San Francisco Board of Appeals involves the “Early Days” statue, which depicts a Native American at the feet of a Spanish cowboy and Catholic missionary. It is part of a cluster near City Hall regarding the founding of California.
Tom DeCaigny, the Arts Commission’s director of cultural affairs, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the commission would begin working to take the statue down immediately.
Native American activists have tried to have the statue removed for decades. They renewed efforts last year after clashes broke out over Confederate monuments.
In April, the board unanimously voted to overturn a decision by the city’s Arts Commission to remove the sculpture. At the time, appeals board member Rick Swig called the statue “horrible” but said removing it from public view would squash free speech.
The quasi-judicial, five-member body agreed in June to reconsider its decision.
Earlier this year, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to end the Columbus Day holiday and celebrate indigenous people and Italian Americans on the second Monday in October.
Board members said Native people suffered greatly after explorer Christopher Columbus arrived.
The decision by the San Francisco Board of Appeals involves the “Early Days” statue, which depicts a Native American at the feet of a Spanish cowboy and Catholic missionary. It is part of a cluster near City Hall regarding the founding of California.
Tom DeCaigny, the Arts Commission’s director of cultural affairs, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the commission would begin working to take the statue down immediately.
Native American activists have tried to have the statue removed for decades. They renewed efforts last year after clashes broke out over Confederate monuments.
In April, the board unanimously voted to overturn a decision by the city’s Arts Commission to remove the sculpture. At the time, appeals board member Rick Swig called the statue “horrible” but said removing it from public view would squash free speech.
The quasi-judicial, five-member body agreed in June to reconsider its decision.
Earlier this year, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to end the Columbus Day holiday and celebrate indigenous people and Italian Americans on the second Monday in October.
Board members said Native people suffered greatly after explorer Christopher Columbus arrived.
I understand the need to remove things that glorifies the inhumane treatment, and conquest of any people,,I get it as a black man,,I get it, but this is their Nation, and their history,,so they are going to glorify themselves, like most nations do,,but removing a statue here and there is not going to explain how and why we were defeated as a Nation,,we were both very spiritual people, and we believe in a God,, long before the Europeans came with theirs,, and we were always taught if we obedient to him and did he's will,, our God would watch over us and protect us from our enemies,, well something must have happen along the way where our God left us and forsaken us,,, and let us be defeated by one enemy,, to me that's what we need to be figuring out, that's what we need to concentrate on what we did wrong to anger our God, and how we can come back to him,,because we are still a conquered people,, and no removal of a statue here and there is going to get us any closer back to our lands,,or our God, damn what they did wrong,, we need to first find out what we did wrong to anger our God,,once we know what we did wrong and correct our behavior and go back to pure worship,, then our God might receive us back again, and conquer our enemies and then return us back to our lands,,let's put our heart and soul and focus on that my people,, we may find our God again,, because I believe he's waiting on us to find him again,,thank you