[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]os Angeles celebrated its inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday with a panoply of events, native dancing, panel discussions, and of course, a lot of food trucks in and around Grand Park in downtown. But there was one persona non grata.
At the other end of Grand Park, a statue of the Italian explorer – the focus of a wave of revision on his legacy – Christopher Columbus was kept hidden under a big wooden box with red finger paintings.
On the box is pinned a note signed by three organizations, including the L.A. County Arts Commission and the Los Angeles/County Native American Indian Commission, saying the groups are committed to removing the statue from Grand Park.
The box was another signal that Southern California is still shedding once-normal cultural icons that fare poorly with a solid historical view.