1. The Syracuse Columbus statue and the downtown circle
- “A Circle of Controversy,” by Bob Searing, published in History Highlights, the Onondaga Historical Association magazine, 2019. (This is a long and detailed article that may provide helpful background for educators.)
- Syracuse Columbus Statue: A Timeline.
- Heritage Park Syracuse website. The city of Syracuse is planning to turn the downtown circle and the space across the street into a Heritage Park. In the words of the city, the space will “celebrate the contributions of our richly diverse communities and their resilience to oppression.”
- The downtown circle. Buildings facing the statue include:
- Onondaga County Courthouse.
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, formerly St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
- Former Wesleyan Methodist Church, a stop for the underground railroad (building is now home to the Mission Restaurant).
- Photos of the statue.
2. Local Debates on the Statue
- “Syracuse’s Columbus statue debate: Why we should remove it and why we should keep it,” 5-minute video by Katrina Tulloch, CNY News.
- Petition for the removal of the statue, started by Blake Garland-Tirado.
- Onondaga Nation statement on the statue, 2020.
- Op-Eds from local writers:
- Op-Eds arguing for the removal of the statue:
- “Embrace Democratic Values. Remove Iconic Fascist Memorials.” (Commentary, Syracuse.com, by Philip Arnold and Sandra Bigtree)
- “Columbus Statue: Symbols of Oppression Go Far Beyond the Confederate Flag.” (Commentary, Syracuse.com, by Betty Lyons)
- Op-Eds arguing to keep the statue up:
- “Don’t Tear Down Statues. It’s our duty to preserve American history.” Daily Orange (Syracuse University student newspaper), by Augustus LeRoux, SU history major.
- “Columbus Monument Honors Struggles of Italian-Americans who Built It.” (Commentary, Syracuse.com, by Mark Nicotra on behalf of the Columbus Monument Corporation Board.)
- Op-Eds arguing for the removal of the statue:
3. History of Columbus
- “Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal.” The excerpts starting at October 11 are particularly relevant to discussions of the encounter between Columbus and Indigenous people.
- Excerpt from Las Casas, Very Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies.
- “Doctrine of Discovery,” short film featuring Sidney Hill and Oren Lyons.
- “Taino Nation Alive and Strong,” by Valerie Taliman, Indian Country Today.
4. Haudenosaunee and Onondaga culture
- “Who We Are,” introduction to the Onondaga Nation web page.
- “We are the Haudenosaunee,” short video featuring Oren Lyons and Sidney Hill. (Additional videos on Haudenosaunee and Onondaga culture can be found here as well.)
- Maps of historic and present Haudenosaunee territory, from Native Land Digital.
5. Italian American history and consolidation of communal identity
- “Italian Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History,” Library of Congress Classroom Materials.
- “Sacco and Vanzetti’s Trial of the Century Exposed Injustice in 1920s America,” Smithsonian Magazine.
- Lakshmi Gandhi, “How Columbus Sailed into U.S. History, Thanks to Italians,” on the history of Columbus Day, National Public Radio.
6. Functions of monuments; removing and revising monuments
- “Monuments and Memorials,” The Inclusive Historian’s Handbook. (This is a long article but may serve as helpful background for teachers.)
- “Redefining the Role of Public Monuments,” UC Davis News.
- “Building Citizen Historians: Teaching Historical Analysis of Statues on Public Lands,” by Michael Neel and Jared Aumen, Social Education, 2022. (Aimed at educators; helpful framework and questions for discussing monuments with students.)