Harris attack on ‘shameful past’ of US colonisation

Kamala Harris has drawn heavy criticism for denouncing the US’s ‘shameful past’, while condemning European explorers.

US vice president Kamala Harris delivers remarks to the National Congress of American Indians 78th Annual Convention. Picture: AFP

Kamala Harris drew criticism yesterday when she denounced America’s “shameful past” of colonisation, and said that European explorers “ushered in a wave of devastation for tribal nations”.

Addressing the National Congress of American Indians on Tuesday evening, the vice-president said that the US “must not shy away” from its past. She was speaking after the first Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the new name for the annual Columbus Day holiday.

“Since 1934, every October the United States has recognised the voyage of the European explorers who first landed on the shores of the Americans. But that is not the whole story. That has never been the whole story,” Harris said.

“Those explorers ushered in a wave of devastation for tribal nations – perpetrating violence, stealing land and spreading disease. We must not shy away from this shameful past and we must shed light on it.”

The vice-president’s comments attracted protests from conservatives on social media. She was already under fire after it was revealed that the children who appeared with her in a recent video, spellbound as she spoke of the wonders of space, were young actors.

Columbus Day has become a flashpoint in America’s culture wars as the nation grapples with disputes about colonialism, the impact on indigenous Americans, and slavery.

Although it remains the official title of the national holiday, several states and more than 100 cities call it Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead. Joe Biden became the first president to commemorate the new holiday this year.

Monday’s holiday was marked by celebrations and protests. Indigenous people and supporters marched in several cities, urging the Biden administration to make good on pledges to uphold treaties on land rights and improve economic opportunities for Native Americans.

At least 36 statues of Columbus have been taken down across America since the 1970s, although more than 140 remain. Activists gathered in Chicago’s Little Italy on Monday to demand that their statue of the Italian explorer be returned.

Harris said: “Native Americans are more likely to live in poverty, to be unemployed, and often struggle to get quality health care and to find affordable housing. This persistent inequity, this persistent injustice, is not right.”

She said the administration would negotiate an agreement on federal funding for job training on tribal lands. The accord was renegotiated under President Trump in 2018 but with no input from the tribal groups affected.

The Times