Well, indirectly. In his proclamation today for Columbus Day, he mentions the Native Americans … by omission. (Emphasis mine.)
Five hundred and twenty-five years ago, Christopher Columbus completed an ambitious and daring voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The voyage was a remarkable and then-unparalleled feat that helped launch the age of exploration and discovery. The permanent arrival of Europeans to the Americas was a transformative event that undeniably and fundamentally changed the course of human history and set the stage for the development of our great Nation. Therefore, on Columbus Day, we honor the skilled navigator and man of faith, whose courageous feat brought together continents and has inspired countless others to pursue their dreams and convictions — even in the face of extreme doubt and tremendous adversity. More than five centuries after his initial voyage, we remember the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” for building the critical first link in the strong and enduring bond between the United States and Europe.
Trump, like every US President, is required by 1934 law to proclaim this day in commemoration of Christopher Columbus. However, it’s possible to do so and acknowledge that, y’know, there were already some people here when Columbus arrived … and what happened to them for the next 500+ years wasn’t necessarily all that nifty as a “transformative event.” Obama, in 2015, for example, included in his proclamation:
Though these early travels expanded the realm of European exploration, to many they also marked a time that forever changed the world for the indigenous peoples of North America. Previously unseen disease, devastation, and violence were introduced to their lives — and as we pay tribute to the ways in which Columbus pursued ambitious goals — we also recognize the suffering inflicted upon Native Americans and we recommit to strengthening tribal sovereignty and maintaining our strong ties.
Trump, though, has no time for such politesse. He’s too busy praising Italian-American voters listeners.
While Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Spain sponsored his historic voyage, Columbus was a native of the City of Genoa, in present day Italy, and represents the rich history of important Italian American contributions to our great Nation. There can be no doubt that American culture, business, and civic life would all be much less vibrant in the absence of the Italian American community.
Of course, a hundred-plus years ago, Trump would have been one of the loudest voices complaining about all those Italians flooding into our country, with their weird and un-American religious practices, their murderous and lascivious ways, and their lazy work ethic. [1]
[h/t +John E. Bredehoft]
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[1] That would have included both of my maternal grandparents’ families.
President Donald J. Trump Proclaims October 9, 2017, as Columbus Day
COLUMBUS DAY, 2017 – – – – – – – BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
i guess one could characterize Obama's 2015 statement as a classic political move, an attempt to make everyone happy – the Italian Americans and the Native Americans included.
But, as you note, the President is required by law to make SOME statement.
Plus, every holiday (with the exception of those regarded as divine by one group or another) has its detractors. Thanksgiving Day is just as bad as Columbus Day from the Native American standpoint; Memorial Day and Veterans Day could be seen as the subjugation of human lives to the war machine; Valentines Day is a slap in the face for those who are not in relationships; Labor Day "celebrates" (for some) the inflation of wages to a point where the laborers are in China; Presidents' Day denigrates the other two branches of federal government and our state governments and celebrates the coming dictatorship; etc.
All those negative holiday scenarios have a certain internal logic, but only Columbus day and Thanksgiving celebrate the beginning of an actual conquest and genocide.
@George – And even with Thanksgiving, I’m willing to accept the spirit of what it’s about over the context of when it started. On the other hand, I have to acknowledge the White Privilege of my perspective on that.
Columbus Day, though, is just a hot mess. The man was an asshole, aside from one singular accomplishment (which wasn’t even what he intended), and that accomplishment meant massive suffering, enslavement, and death for millions. I can’t say that I’d take a time machine and strangle him as a child, but he doesn’t deserve a national holiday, or even to be particularly remembered.
+John E. Bredehoft Not questioning that any holiday can be controversial, but I feel fairly certain that Trump didn't not mention Native Americans / Indigenous Peoples by accident.
Obama's proclamations (over each of his eight Octobers) all make some distinct mention of those people. Whether Trump's consciously breaking with his predecessor (again), whether he thinks talking about Native Americans and their suffering is a downer, or whether he just wants to stick a thumb in the eye of liberals and political correctness SJWs, or all of the above, is unclear.
(I will note that GWB didn't mention Native Americans / Indigenous People, either; Clinton did mention them, but in a more low-key fashion.)
1492. As children, we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.- Kurt Vonnegut
For no good reason I am reminded of the Lost in Space episode in which Dr Smith, teaching young William history, insisted to the Robot that the nursery rhyme was not "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," but was actually, "In 1493, Columbus sailed the deep blue sea."
DONALD TRUMP 2020.