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A statue in Washington State for Pacific Islanders serves as a reminder of a dark chapter in history – World Latest News Headlines – India Times English News

October 20, 2021
Henry Club

Most residents of the city have no idea who Monaghan was. But for many Pacific Islanders in the region, their legacy is one of violence, colonialism and racism – and they want the statue to come down.

“There is no honor in raising the one who killed our ancestors,” said Sia.

Monaghan is believed to have been the first Washington resident to attend the United States Naval Academy and serve in the Navy. at the height of US imperialism In the 1890s, historian Lawrence Cebula said. In 1899, the Navy invaded Samoa in an attempt to impose American rule on the islands. Cebula said the USS Philadelphia – on which Monaghan served – opened fire on native villages while officers went to burn the survivors. Their actions targeted and killed civilians, including women and children.

Monaghan was killed during this operation. Monaghan’s commander is wounded as Samoan soldiers proceed to encroach on their homes by combined American and British forces. Monaghan is said to have died in an attempt to save him.

While American and British forces were defeated in that battle, Samoa was soon divided between America and Germany and subject to foreign control. Although the Western Isles eventually gained independence in 1962The eastern islands are under US sovereignty.

According to Cebula, the Monaghan statue in Spokane was erected in 1906 in a ceremony that included several racial insults against the Samoan people. Those slang and offensive traits persist today – a plaque at the base of the monument refers to Samoan forces as “savage enemies” and incorrectly depicts them with a bow and arrow.

“She is shown deliberately falling down by grabbing Primitive and Monaghan by her breast,” Cebula said. “it is enough ‘Custer’s final stand.‘”

For many Pacific Islanders in the region, the statue is a constant reminder of the racism that Samoa endured at the hands of the US military and a man who participated in a violent and unjust war.

“This statue, with its offensive imagery and racist language, stands as a message that says that we are here to be unwanted and/or thought of as less than human, which is usually the meaning of the word ‘savage’. tries to do,” Kianna McKenna, director of Eastern Washington services for the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington, wrote in an email to CNN. “We deserve to feel safe here and, more than that, we deserve the ability to thrive here without being oppressed.”

McKenna said the statue’s removal would be a step toward reconciliation and healing and that he and other advocates hoped the Spokane community was ready to do so.

“Critics say these efforts will erase history,” she said. “But you cannot erase the history that is untrue.”

The city of Spokane said it has so far been unable to determine whether the statue and the property on which it sits are owned by the city or a private party, and that further investigation is needed.

“The city is aware of the discussion about the statue in the community and understands the sensitivity of the situation,” Spokane City spokesman Brian Coddington wrote in an email to CNN. “There is an open question about property ownership and statutory that will need to be resolved before appropriate next steps can be identified.”

Who is part of the effort to remove the Monaghan statue in Spokane? A big fight across America Removal of historical symbols in honor of leaders who perpetuate racism and oppression.

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