Columbus Comes Down: How a ‘Symbol of Atrocity’ Finally Became a Moment of Healing

[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] statue of explorer Christopher Columbus that stood for 45 years in downtown L.A.'s Grand Park was removed Saturday after a healing ceremony and speeches by Native Americans, including people belonging to the city’s local Tongva/Gabrielinos and Tataviam nations.

The removal of the Columbus statue from the park comes after both the L.A. City Council and County Board of Supervisors voted last year to replace the October Christopher Columbus holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day, which the city celebrated for the first time last month.

“That’s what happens when the first Native American ends up on Los Angeles City Council,” said City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell during the removal event. O'Farrell is a member of the Wyandotte Nation and led the City Council effort to make the holiday switch.

“Last month, we celebrated the first ever Indigenous Peoples Day in the city’s history,” he said. “It is a natural progression that on this day, this statue, this symbol of atrocity, oppression, and subjugation also falls.”