The Chula Vista City Council approved a resolution appointing 11 members in a task force to recommend the disposition of the Christopher Columbus statue which was housed in Discovery Park for more than 30 years.
The fate of the Columbus statue was determined in May by City Council after more than 3 hours of deliberation with a 4 to 1 vote approving it’s permanent removal. The only dissenting vote was from Deputy Mayor John McCann.
In a statement issued in June, City Councilman Steve Padilla said the statue "has been a source of controversy over the years, including repeated instances of vandalism and protest. Many have asked for its removal, and given all that is happening nationwide regarding America's legacy of racism, the city decided to put it in storage."
The statue was vandalized with red paint on Indigenous People’s Day in 2019 and moved to storage in June of last year. Consideration for the statue’s permanent removal began following requests by the Chula Vista Human Relations Commission.
The appointed task force will be entrusted with the replacement of the Christopher Columbus statue, submitting proposals to rename Discovery Park, and submitting proposals for a framework for receiving and/or installing of public memory, monuments and gifts, and proposals for a framework for naming parks and/or other City facilities.
The Human Relations Commission, Parks and the Recreation Commission, Cultural Arts Commission, Kumeyaay Nation, and the Sons and Daughters of Italy selected the Columbus Statue Task Force.
Representatives of the Kumeyaay nation have been at the forefront of calling for removing the statue. The greater San Diego Community, including the land which Discovery Park is located, was inhabited by the Kumeyaay, and many Kumeyaay continue to live in San Diego.
The celebrating or commemoration of Christopher Columbus is point of heated debate given his role in the European Colonization of the Americas, leading to the genocide and enslavement of Native Peoples for profit.
The first ever presidential proclamation declaring Oct.11 as Indigenous People’s Day was issued by President Joe Biden to refocus a federal holiday historically dedicated to Christopher Columbus.
This refocusing would require an act of congress. Meanwhile, this observation will be celebrated alongside Columbus Day, which is established by congress.
Biden addresses the injustices against indigenous peoples within his proclamation as “ it is a measure of our greatness as a nation that we do not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past ''. Native Americans were honored for their commitment to the U.S Military and in fighting Covid-19 in the proclamation. Additionally, it recognized U.S injustices against indigenous communities.
“For generations, Federal policies systematically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures,” Biden wrote in the Indigenous Peoples’ Day proclamation. “Today, we recognize Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength as well as the immeasurable positive impact that they have made on every aspect of American society.”
