Discoverer's Day Holiday is Protested in Honolulu
Posted: Oct 12, 2009 9:54 PM
Group Protests Discoverer's Day
Lynette Cruz
Dr. Tony Castanha
Norberto Flores
HONOLULU (KHNL)- For many "Columbus Day" or "Discoverer's Day" is time off from school or work. But one group says, it's really a reason to protest. In solidarity with indigenous people around the world, they claim when Christopher Columbus set sail, his colonization led to the suffering of millions and the seizure of their lands.
Their flames were fueled by frustration.
"Harm was done, wrong was done and we're not going to forget about it," said Honolulu resident Lynette Cruz.
On "Columbus Day" or "Discoverer's Day," a group challenges communities to think deep over what they say took place 500 years ago.
"Dispossession, exploitation, and enslavement. We do not accept this history that was taught to us in our schools," said organizer Dr. Tony Castanha.
In 1493, the group claims the papal bull Inter-Caetera was issued by the Vatican to Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to establish Christian rule throughout his journey. They say land that wasn't theirs was taken and indigenous people were killed in the process.
"How it is we were discovered, when we were already here is beyond me," said Cruz.
"It's only a minority of people that recognize that and that's a big problem," said Honolulu resident Norberto Flores.
"We want to remember where we've been because we don't want to go there," said Cruz.
They say the only way to make history right, is to ask the Catholic church to revoke the papal bull. The protestors set fire to printouts of the text of the bull and dropped the burning paper into a metal trash can.
"This does mean something, there's something to be pondered and reflected upon," said Flores.
It's a barrel of burnt up paper, but the group says it's a way to symbolically say what's happened is not OK. They rally for a remedy.
"Can we do the right thing, calling attention in a peaceful way is our way to begin that," said Cruz.
For more than a decade, the group has chosen its demonstration locations each year for different causes. Last year, they formed outside the Keeaumoku Wal-Mart because they claim it was built on native burial ground.
The group says it will also lobby the state legislature to change the name "Discoverer's Day" to "Indigenous People's Day."
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Several years ago I wrote, Understanding Western Concepts so people would get a better understanding of how they think and how it's applied even today. This is one of the major reasons why the Akaka Bill should be rebuked and shunned.
UNDERSTANDING WESTERN CONCEPTS
by Tane
The Papal Bulls established the framework of Western concept regarding
non-white civilizations. John Calvin, a Frenchman, developed it further on a
religious level as he broke away from Catholicism concepts and merged the
doctrines to fit the predestination and personally interpreted the bibled to fit
his values and concepts. Throughout Europe, many subscribed to his version
of Christianity which made its way over to the British colonies in America.
This renegade set of christian ideals recreated their creed to establish the
WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) society which today still represents
the United States of America.
The right of conquest afforded to Christians, stemmed from the Old Testament;
whereby, the Jewish people who declared they were the chosen people by God,
fell out of favor with Him. The Christians picked up the banner and justified it with
the New Testament. It was in the Middle East that Christianity began to flourish
and soon spread throughout the "civilized" countries of that time. Europe was still
on the edges of civilization, living in mud huts along the rivers as barbaric heathens.
Pope Urban II sent out his edict in 1095, Papal Bull Terra Nullius, land of no
consequences, empty of human habitation belonging to no one. This meant that
Christians were given the right of discovery and could claim land in non-Christian
areas; even as Europe, itself, was dotted with principalities and tribes at that time.
The inhabitants were deemed subhuman and not civilized by their standards; thus
had no nation to recognize as similar to theirs.
In 1452, Pope Nicholas V sent out the Papal Bull Romanus Pontifex, that stated
these barbaric, non-Christians needed to be converted and civilized according to
their standards. In essence, they could occupy the land but have no rights since it
is God-given only to Christians. The natives on the land could be put in perpetual
slavery; the monarchs convert them and use them as they wish; and make profit off
of them, since they were considered property and their possession.
In 1452, the Dum Diversas, issued by Pope Nicholas V , empowered King Alfonso V
of Portugal to shackle any Muslims, pagans and any other unbelievers to perpetual
slavery, which began with the slave trade in West Africa.
Pope Alexander VI issued Papal Bull Inter Caetera in 1493, the Doctrine of Conquest.
This justified waging war on all non-Christians; a jure belli, a just war blessed by God,
a jihad/crusade of which gave legitimacy of Christian domination over pagans, sanctifying
enslavement, and dispossession of property.
It wasn't until 29 May 1537 when Pope Paul III wrote his Papal Bull Sublimus Dei, that
he declared "indians" and all other people later discovered by Christians were truly men
and real humans. Probably as an attempt to reverse the mindset established by the
previous Bulls which formulated the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.
Between 1712 through to 1914 (the end of the Age of Liberalism), the formation of
nation-states in Europe developed and rose to great powers. Adoptions of Asian/Middle
East civilizations by Europeans fortified their growth. Europe commonly accepted the
right to discovery of countries unknown to all Christian people and no other "member"
could interfere in their conquest of the globe. The USA and Europe asserted the
ultimate dominion to be in themselves and acknowledged the rights of "natives"
as occupants.
The aberrant-thinking John Calvin built his presbtery on a democratic foundation where
people were to choose; but the ministers chosen, were to rule. Calvin's reformed theology
is either God is not omnipotent or man is not self-determinate; thus accepting the
conclusion adverse to liberty. He also stated that faith alone is salvation - it is Divine
Predestination. "Some men are born devoted from the womb to certain death, that His
(God's) name may be glorified". That means, only certain Christians are destined to go to
heaven; supplanting public teachings of centuries past.
He omits Christian history to interpret the bible by relying on the "internal persuasion" of the
Holy Spirit as he sees it. The Bible is a given; it is by "decree" of God that events come to
pass which no reason can be given. He further claims, God's will, fixes an absolute order;
physical, ethical, religions, never to be modified by anything we can attempt. Heathen virtue
is but apparent and that of non-Christians merely "political" or secular; which goes to say,
that converted Christian "natives" will never get to heaven.
Common-natured civilization is external only and justice or benevolence have no intrinsic
value or no supernatural value. "All the works of unbelievers are sinful and the virtues of the
philosophers are vices". Calvin goes on to say, impulse and enticement are all the will that
we have. Thus the printed Bible is declared all-sufficient to the mind which the Spirit was
guiding; justification by faith alone, the Bible only, as the rule of faith. Those that subscribed
to Calvinism were also Presbytery, Quakers, and Puritans (in the spirit of Jewish legalism).
Conjoin both the Papal Bulls and Calvinism and you get Manifest Destiny that cradles the
US American/Euro form of capitalism and ethics. There is no guilt or remorse in this line of
thinking. This is the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) society and culture that US
America takes pride in and force-educates its citizens to uphold. Europe is based on the
same foundation to various degees within its territories and possessions. Colonialism and
racism are imbued in their thinking who live and survive within that nefarious box. Don't you
think it's time to break that box and destroy it forever?
As a Roving Catholic, I mean Roman Catholic, I set the blame on the Italian Vatican that started the whole crappy mess that the white so-called Christian people continue to this day. God's message is okay; but the messengers have been corrupt and hypocritical. Europe still utilizes that mentality and the U.S. has perfected it with its manifest destiny doctrines as much as the other Anglo-Franc countries who still apply those sinister-archaic doctrines. The Akaka Bill is typical of this kind of thinking. Above all that is what is most offensive. As a professor in Texas put it, racism is a white problem. and another professor coined, "The U.S. is made up of what it made up." Both are right on the money (so to speak). LOL...
It's time we set the record straight and erase that kind of narrow-minded, old-fashioned mentality imbued with their paternalistic system.
Where I am they did not blatantly celebrate it but then the Seminoles *demand* and *expect* people to respect them. In fact I worked in my office on Monday. I love it when people protest.
Replies
UNDERSTANDING WESTERN CONCEPTS
by Tane
The Papal Bulls established the framework of Western concept regarding
non-white civilizations. John Calvin, a Frenchman, developed it further on a
religious level as he broke away from Catholicism concepts and merged the
doctrines to fit the predestination and personally interpreted the bibled to fit
his values and concepts. Throughout Europe, many subscribed to his version
of Christianity which made its way over to the British colonies in America.
This renegade set of christian ideals recreated their creed to establish the
WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) society which today still represents
the United States of America.
The right of conquest afforded to Christians, stemmed from the Old Testament;
whereby, the Jewish people who declared they were the chosen people by God,
fell out of favor with Him. The Christians picked up the banner and justified it with
the New Testament. It was in the Middle East that Christianity began to flourish
and soon spread throughout the "civilized" countries of that time. Europe was still
on the edges of civilization, living in mud huts along the rivers as barbaric heathens.
Pope Urban II sent out his edict in 1095, Papal Bull Terra Nullius, land of no
consequences, empty of human habitation belonging to no one. This meant that
Christians were given the right of discovery and could claim land in non-Christian
areas; even as Europe, itself, was dotted with principalities and tribes at that time.
The inhabitants were deemed subhuman and not civilized by their standards; thus
had no nation to recognize as similar to theirs.
In 1452, Pope Nicholas V sent out the Papal Bull Romanus Pontifex, that stated
these barbaric, non-Christians needed to be converted and civilized according to
their standards. In essence, they could occupy the land but have no rights since it
is God-given only to Christians. The natives on the land could be put in perpetual
slavery; the monarchs convert them and use them as they wish; and make profit off
of them, since they were considered property and their possession.
In 1452, the Dum Diversas, issued by Pope Nicholas V , empowered King Alfonso V
of Portugal to shackle any Muslims, pagans and any other unbelievers to perpetual
slavery, which began with the slave trade in West Africa.
Pope Alexander VI issued Papal Bull Inter Caetera in 1493, the Doctrine of Conquest.
This justified waging war on all non-Christians; a jure belli, a just war blessed by God,
a jihad/crusade of which gave legitimacy of Christian domination over pagans, sanctifying
enslavement, and dispossession of property.
It wasn't until 29 May 1537 when Pope Paul III wrote his Papal Bull Sublimus Dei, that
he declared "indians" and all other people later discovered by Christians were truly men
and real humans. Probably as an attempt to reverse the mindset established by the
previous Bulls which formulated the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.
Between 1712 through to 1914 (the end of the Age of Liberalism), the formation of
nation-states in Europe developed and rose to great powers. Adoptions of Asian/Middle
East civilizations by Europeans fortified their growth. Europe commonly accepted the
right to discovery of countries unknown to all Christian people and no other "member"
could interfere in their conquest of the globe. The USA and Europe asserted the
ultimate dominion to be in themselves and acknowledged the rights of "natives"
as occupants.
The aberrant-thinking John Calvin built his presbtery on a democratic foundation where
people were to choose; but the ministers chosen, were to rule. Calvin's reformed theology
is either God is not omnipotent or man is not self-determinate; thus accepting the
conclusion adverse to liberty. He also stated that faith alone is salvation - it is Divine
Predestination. "Some men are born devoted from the womb to certain death, that His
(God's) name may be glorified". That means, only certain Christians are destined to go to
heaven; supplanting public teachings of centuries past.
He omits Christian history to interpret the bible by relying on the "internal persuasion" of the
Holy Spirit as he sees it. The Bible is a given; it is by "decree" of God that events come to
pass which no reason can be given. He further claims, God's will, fixes an absolute order;
physical, ethical, religions, never to be modified by anything we can attempt. Heathen virtue
is but apparent and that of non-Christians merely "political" or secular; which goes to say,
that converted Christian "natives" will never get to heaven.
Common-natured civilization is external only and justice or benevolence have no intrinsic
value or no supernatural value. "All the works of unbelievers are sinful and the virtues of the
philosophers are vices". Calvin goes on to say, impulse and enticement are all the will that
we have. Thus the printed Bible is declared all-sufficient to the mind which the Spirit was
guiding; justification by faith alone, the Bible only, as the rule of faith. Those that subscribed
to Calvinism were also Presbytery, Quakers, and Puritans (in the spirit of Jewish legalism).
Conjoin both the Papal Bulls and Calvinism and you get Manifest Destiny that cradles the
US American/Euro form of capitalism and ethics. There is no guilt or remorse in this line of
thinking. This is the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) society and culture that US
America takes pride in and force-educates its citizens to uphold. Europe is based on the
same foundation to various degees within its territories and possessions. Colonialism and
racism are imbued in their thinking who live and survive within that nefarious box. Don't you
think it's time to break that box and destroy it forever?
It's time we set the record straight and erase that kind of narrow-minded, old-fashioned mentality imbued with their paternalistic system.
Tane
You bring in settlers and their banking schemas. And change first peoples spiritual beliefs at gun point. Kaohi
Where I am they did not blatantly celebrate it but then the Seminoles *demand* and *expect* people to respect them. In fact I worked in my office on Monday. I love it when people protest.