Native Americans criticize Trump plan to visit 'symbol of white supremacy'

[turbinetree]

By Associated Press -June 25, 2020 9:54 AM

Trump's plan to visit Mt. Rushmore comes amid a national reckoning over racism and a reconsideration of the symbolism of monuments.

Donald Trump's plans to kick off Independence Day with a showy display at Mount Rushmore are drawing sharp criticism from Native Americans who view the monument as a desecration of land violently stolen from them and used to pay homage to leaders hostile to native people.

Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump's July 3 visit, part of his "comeback" campaign for a nation reeling from sickness, unemployment, and, recently, social unrest. The event is slated to include fighter jets thundering over the 79-year-old stone monument in South Dakota's Black Hills and the first fireworks display at the site since 2009.

But it comes amid a national reckoning over racism and a reconsideration of the symbolism of monuments around the globe. Many Native American activists say the Rushmore memorial is as reprehensible as the many Confederate monuments being toppled around the nation.

"Mount Rushmore is a symbol of white supremacy, of structural racism that's still alive and well in society today," said Nick Tilsen, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and the president of a local activist organization called NDN Collective. "It's an injustice to actively steal Indigenous people's land then carve the white faces of the conquerors who committed genocide."

https://americanindependent.com/donald-trump-mount-rushmore-native-americans-protests-fireworks-july-4th-south-dakota/

[brush]

1. The days of reckoning and dealing with the nation's white supremacist past are...

upon us. I'm betting most never even thought about or view Mt. Rushmore in the Native Americans' perspective.

[GusBob]

2. I wonder what the security will be like

Loud fireworks
Fireworks at night
thundering jets
secret service wiped out by COVID

seems like a situation ripe for bad actors

[Polybius]

3. Symbol of white supremacy?

I don't agree with that at all.

[edhopper]

4. To the Native Americans

whose land they stole and built this on their sacred land, it is.

[Polybius]

5. By that definition, the entire country could be considered a symbol of white supremacy

All of their land was stolen, sadly.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. Now you're getting it.

[edhopper]

8. The land they built Mt Rushmore on

had particular significance to the tribes there.

Why would you not think that, to them, this wasn't a symbol of white supremacy.

We may see it otherwise, but you can't discount how they view it.

It would be like saying since the Klan erected Stone Mountain to honor their heroes, we can't see it as a racist monument to white supremacy.

[sarisataka]

7. The history of the monument is interesting

And it can be considered very much a monument to white supremacy

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213625257