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Native American Students Association protests Pioneer statue

Last updated on 05/23/2019

11-2 today. Thanks to a reader for the tip:

As you know, “The Pioneer” is a statue that glorifies white supremacy
and settler-colonial violence against people of color, especially Native
people.

NASU is holding a protest to take the statue down THIS WEDNESDAY
from 11am to 2pm. Please pass this on to your membership to attend!
We’ll have signs but feel free to BYOS (bring your own signs) as well.
See you there!

More in the Emerald here. In unrelated news, Harbor Freight has a good deal on an appropriate winch for a midnight removal to the Pioneer Cemetery. Just $399, until the Trump Tarriffs kick in:

17 Comments

  1. A white duck 05/22/2019

    “As you know, “The Pioneer” is a statue that glorifies white supremacy and settler-colonial violence against people of color, especially Native people.”

    No it doesn’t. It’s OK to be white. Stop attacking us and our history.

    • Payroll Guy 05/22/2019

      Can we still attack your ignorance?

      • Dog 05/22/2019

        I think your mean “aarogance”

    • uomatters Post author | 05/22/2019

      No one’s attacking “us”. Our students are protesting a statue that glorifies a particular time in history and intentionally ignores the genocide and oppression that came with it. This is exactly the sort of well-informed, interesting, thought-provoking protest a university should have. And thanks to our founders our students can protest this without fear of institutional reprisal.

  2. Deplorable Duck 05/22/2019

    Everyone is forgotten soon enough. Removing such markers does speed up the process, though…

    • just different 05/22/2019

      The “Pioneer” isn’t a person, it’s a personification. Of something that we would all be better off without.

      • Deplorable Duck 05/22/2019

        It’s an artistic representation of a group of people, yes. And despite the noses held high in the air, they were about as good and as bad as every other human being that has walked the earth. Which is to say, pretty bad on balance.

        As far as it goes, though, if properly done, I’d fully support moving the bronze man and woman to the Pioneer Cemetery. It’s a special place, away from everyday noise, and more fitting for history. It’s not good for students to become too familiar with such artifacts–they should have to seek them out.

        • just different 05/23/2019

          No. The protest isn’t about demonizing a group of individuals, it’s about recognizing the destructiveness and immorality of the idea that motivated those individuals, namely the taking of “virgin” land for the white race. It’s something that shouldn’t have been done and shouldn’t be glorified now.

  3. Kevin Post 05/22/2019

    Professional victimhood is worthless after you leave the bubble of a liberal arts campus. Grow up, bunch of children lol. Pioneers made Oregon what it is today. Getting rid of benign statues does not erase history.

    • Fishwrapper 05/22/2019

      Chum, you suggest getting rid of benign statues doe not erase history, and to a point, you have a point. How nice, and convenient, that your idea of benign is all that matters.

      Getting rid of an offensive stature does, however, wash some of the salt off a very deep open wound. It’s not about erasing history – its about reconciling with what’s been chosen from history as an object of celebration.

      It appears to me the children have grown up, and they are asking you to join them.

      • Kevin Post 05/23/2019

        I read all 8 pages of the speech that has everyone all spicey. It’s one guy’s opinion of what the statue meant to him. He wasn’t even slated to make a speech that day, it was an impromptu set of offhand remarks.

        I think that the statue is benign and represents great men and their families that made this state what it is today. Why is one person’s opinion more important than another? Lots of things irritate me but I don’t immediately go to “tear it down!!”

        • Fishwrapper 05/26/2019

          You suggest it’s but “one guy’s opinion” when you know full well that a.) it is not, and b.) the arguments made against the statue do have merit.

          (If you don’t know either, good luck. Seriously.)

          Why is one person’s opinion more important that another? Well, since you suggest it’s between him and you, based on your response, I would argue it’s because you dismiss the weight of history. But it’s not about you, nor just him.

          If you don’t know that, good luck.

          Seriously.

  4. UO CC 05/22/2019

    The statue is 100 years old. Why are we only starting to listen to native american activists who are offended by it?

    The statue is a historical landmark whether you like it or not. The statue symbolizes bad things and good things. Maybe the statue should be used as a teaching tool?

    I personally think the statue should not be torn down primarily because I think that would be a waste of money.

    I think new modern works of art should be installed every 50 years or so. There are many native american artists that should be considered. We should learn about their stories and traditions too.

    • Kevin Post 05/23/2019

      The museum on campus has a ton of information about native american culture.

    • Anonymous 05/27/2019

      The beautiful statue in front of Kalapuya Ilihi dorm counterbalances the pioneer statue. I am grateful that the Uni installed the statue and named the dorm after the Kalapuyas; so that in the same campus you have representations of the two sides–the occupied, in a long and difficult process of being rediscovered, and the occupiers, whom some want to forget. The juxtaposition of the two provides a powerful reminder of the messiness of history, of the ebb and flow of duelling representations of power and place, and of the simple fact that we are not there yet, that the pioneer mentality is nowhere to be gone in our society. Taking down the Pioneer statue, to me, also reduces the power of the Native American statue. So Pioneer should stay–and the Uni should sponsor even more wonderful Native American sculpture on campus, in more prominent places.

      • Deplorable Duck 05/31/2019

        Thanks–didn’t know this was there. I will seek this out.

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