Columbus Annotated Bibliography
by
● Children’s and Early Adolescents’ Books
● Journals
● Journal Articles, Book Chapters, and Books
● Videos
Children’s and Early Adolescents’ Books
Adler, David. (1991). Picture book of Christopher Columbus. New York: Holiday House.
Elementary. Omits or only hints at Columbus' destructive consequences on Native Americans, perpetuates the myth that Columbus "discovered" America, and focuses on Columbus' efforts to obtain funding as well as the voyage itself. Its omission of Native American perspectives makes this book useful only as a comparison with other books with more balance.
Columbus, C. (Author) & Las Casas, B.(Translator). (2007). The log of Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to America in the year 1492 as copied out in brief by Bartholomew Las Casas, one of his companions. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing.
Upper elementary. Provides a simplified version of Columbus’ journal which briefly describes the first voyage to the “Indies,” although they landed on Guanahani. The log shows that Columbus told his men they sailed a shorter distance than what they actually traveled so as not to frighten them and that Columbus claims to have seen land first and eligible for the monetary reward for doing so. The most interesting aspects of the log are Columbus’s descriptions of claiming Guanahani for the King and Queen of Spain, the physical characteristics and behaviors of the “Indians,” and Columbus’s assumptions about them. He believes they can easily be converted to Christianity, made to be good servants, and are eager to become friends with Columbus and his men and possess what Columbus offers them. Columbus also documents his intention to seize seven Native people and take them to Spain so they can learn the Spanish language. He declares he could conquer all the Native people with 50 men and govern them as he pleased.
Conrad, P. (1991). Pedro’s journal. New York: Scholastic.
Upper elementary. Provides a description of Columbus’ voyage and initial encounters with Native people from the perspective of Pedro, a ship’s boy. Although Pedro is a fictional character, he does include such factual accounts of Columbus’ capture of Native people to take to Spain and his disregard for Native people’s rights.
Dorris, Michael. (1992). Morning girl. New York: Hyperion.
Upper elementary. Provides a fictional account of a Taino brother and sister on the island of Guanahani immediately prior to Columbus' arrival. Tainos are described as real human beings with the epilogue hinting at the impending hardships and destruction of the Taino people after Columbus' arrival.
Freedman, R. (2007). Who was first? Discovering the Americas. New York: Clarion.
Upper elementary/middle school level. Provides a factual account of Columbus’s four voyages to the Americas. It includes Columbus’s descriptions of the Taino and their living conditions and the Taino descriptions of themselves as “good” as compared to the “bad” Caribs who raided the Taino villages. Freedman admits that Columbus kidnapped ten Taino to take back to Spain on the first return trip to train as interpreters and “exhibit them at the Royal Court.” Columbus’s second voyage focuses on finding gold, although he is unable to control the greed of his followers who steal Taino possessions, abduct wives, and seize captives to ship back to Spain as slaves. The author clarifies that in between Columbus’s trips, Spanish colonists settle on Hispaniola, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and other islands in the West Indies. They force Native people to work in the goldfields or Spanish ranches and kill or enslave those who resist. The Spanish colonists also bring disease to the Americas, which leads to a severe decline in the Taino population. The author also presents evidence that China and Leif Eriksson might have discovered America and speculates about how the first Native people arrived in the Americas. He concludes they arrived at different times, from different places (Asia and possibly Europe, Africa, and Australia), and traveled by land and sea. This theory is in contrast to many Native people’s beliefs that they originated in the Americas.
Hart, Avery. (2001). Who really discovered America? Unraveling the mystery & solving the puzzle. Charlotte, VT: Williamson.
Upper elementary. Describes many different theories about the discovery of America and encourages young readers to question and arrive at their own conclusions. Provides evidence for and against the land bridge theory allowing Native Americans from Asia to come to America first; evidence for and against the Woden-lithi theory leading to a Scandinavian king discovering America in 1750 B.C.; evidence for and against Native American (especially Lakota) theories for Native people’s origins in the Americas; evidence for and against the alien theory involving aliens arriving on earth to marry apelike prehumans; evidence for and against Van Sertima’s African theory that Africans arrived in America almost 2,000 years before Columbus; evidence for and against Professor Xu’s Asian theory that the Chinese Shang dynasty influenced the development of the Olmec civilization in Mexico; evidence for and against the “other way-around theory” that ancient people from the Americas sailed to Africa, Asia or Europe; and evidence for and against the Vikings being the first to “discover” America. Introduces both the traditional story of Columbus’ journey to America and a more realistic version, including Columbus’ cruelty toward the Taino.
Jacobs, Francine. (1992). The Tainos: The people who welcomed Columbus. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Upper elementary through adult. Furnishes a nonfiction account of the Taino culture as well as a detailed description of the Spanish assault on Taino culture. Treats Taino culture with respect and sympathizes with the Tainos as they fought back against the Spanish.
King, T. (1992). A Coyote Columbus story. Toronto, Ontario: Groundwood Books.
Elementary. The author is of Cherokee and Greek background and offers a humorous retelling of the Columbus story from a Native point of view in contemporary times. The main character is the trickster Coyote. Coyote creates the world and all its creatures, but when Columbus and his friends arrive, they are interested only in finding India and things to sell. Coyote seems to regret creating Columbus and his friends and considers them to have very bad manners. Then Columbus decides they are already in India and the people living there are Indians, which they can sell in Spain to become rich and famous. When Coyote promises the Native people who are left behind he will fix things, Jacques Cartier arrives asking about the route to India.
Koning, Hans. (1991). Columbus: His enterprise, exploding the myth. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Middle school, good background reading for teachers. Strongly refutes the image of Columbus as a hero, although respects the courage of Columbus and his crew to sail into the unknown. Quotes from Columbus' log, his son Hernando's history of the voyages, and Bartolome de las Casas' History of the Indies to illustrate Columbus' greed and cruelty.
Krensky, S. (1991). Step into reading: Christopher Columbus. New York: Random House.
Lower elementary. The text seems to portray the perspective of Columbus and his men with Columbus knowing they will reach the Far East and his men having doubts. When they reach land, Columbus and his men still believe they reached their original destination, so Columbus names the people Indians, the island San Salvador, and claims the land for Spain. The author clarifies, “But the island really belongs to the people who live there.” The Taino are portrayed as curious, friendly, and helpful, and do not understand Columbus’ questions about gold. The author also acknowledges that Columbus “forced six Indians to come with him” on his return to Spain, but still declares he made a great discovery in the new world.
Landau, Elaine. (2001). Columbus Day: Celebrating a famous explorer. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow.
Lower elementary. Provides background on Columbus leading to his journey to the Americas, although acknowledges that Columbus did not “discover” America. The author concedes that despite the many kindnesses shown by the “Indians” of the West Indies toward Columbus, he and his men treated the “Indians” cruelly and caused many of their deaths. The history of Columbus Day is briefly sketched, including protests by American Indians for a holiday honoring someone who was so cruel to Native people.
Levy, Elizabeth. (2001). Are we there yet? Europeans meet the Americans. New York: Scholastic.
The author claims all the information in the text is real, but doesn’t cite sources. She lists Richard W. Hill, Sr., a Tuscarora, as an expert reader and provides a brief description of native North Americans before Europeans. The text offers a humorous interpretation of different theories as to who were the first “outsiders” to visit North America, including the Vikings, Chinese, St. Brendan and the Irish, or West Africans. The author’s interpretation of Columbus’ trips to America reveals a stronger focus on the Arawaks than many texts and acknowledges Columbus and his men’s numerous weaknesses and acts of cruelty toward Native people. The author describes Columbus and his men’s disdain for growing food, their enslavement of Native people, and their quest for gold and cruel punishments for Native people who did not meet their gold quota. Even though the Arawaks rebelled against this treatment, the majority died from overwork, starvation, European diseases, or suicide.
Liestman, Vicki. (1991). Columbus Day. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.
Lower elementary. Provides a truthful, sensitively and carefully written account of Columbus' voyages and the cruelty directed against the Native Americans. Questions how explorers should treat those beings they encounter in all contexts and during all time.
Macdonald, F. (2004). You wouldn’t want to sail with Christopher Columbus! Unchartered waters you’d rather not cross. Danbury CT: Franklin Watts.
Elementary. Contains questions and answers regarding several aspects of exploration and specifically, Columbus’s voyages during 1492-1504. The author studied history and has written several children’s books on historical topics, but does not give sources. The text explains why people wanted to explore, how voyages were funded, the food and crew needed for a voyage, descriptions of Columbus’s three ships, tools used in navigation, the crew’s duties on the ship, signs of land, what Columbus and his men discovered about the Taino people’s housing and food, a summary of Columbus’s four voyages, and Columbus’s final years. The author acknowledges that Columbus was not kind to the Taino people, which led to his downfall.
Maestro, Betsy and Giulio. (1991). The discovery of the Americas: From prehistory through the age of Columbus. New York: Mulberry Books.
Elementary. Explains through large pictures as well as text that Columbus was not the person to "discover" America, but other peoples arrived, settled, and developed cultures here. Describes others who explored the Americas, all searching for riches for their countries.
Meltzer, Milton. (1990). Columbus and the world around him. New York: Franklin Watts.
Middle school, good background reading for teachers. Pays tribute to Columbus's bravery and great navigator skills, but also includes the destructive consequences of his voyages on the Native Americans he encountered. Explains the late 15th century world which helped to justify Columbus' cruel treatment of Native Americans in his primary quest for gold.
Pelta, Kathy. (1991). Discovering Christopher Columbus: How history is invented. Minneapolis: Lerner.
Upper elementary, middle school, good background information for teachers. The author encourages readers to question what we know about Columbus as historians continue to discover new information about him. She traces how views of Columbus changed from the American Revolution to 1992. During the American Revolution period, the emerging nation wanted a non-English hero, so chose Columbus who “discovered” America. People in the U.S. began naming things after Columbus, including the land on which the capital was built. On October 12, 1792 was the first time for Columbus Day to be celebrated in New York city. People continued naming towns, songs, cities, rivers, lakes, islands, mountains, and schools after Columbus. His voyage became linked to European American westward movement in the19th century until President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day a general holiday on October 12, 1892. In 1992, the Columbus story began changing to include Native American perspectives.
Sanchez, J. P. (1995). The Aztec chronicles: The true history of Christopher Columbus as narrated by Quilaztli of Texcoco. Berkeley, CA: TQS.
Mature middle school and background reading for teachers. The text is an historical novella based on the author’s extensive research of the original contract between Columbus and the King and Queen of Spain, court cases against Columbus, and Bartolome de Las Casas’ and other colonial historians’ original works. The text encourages readers to question many ideas regarding traditional views of Columbus, including what Columbus and the King and Queen of Spain were to gain from Columbus’ voyages, how Columbus knew the route from the Canary Islands to the new world, who guided the ships and provided leadership during the initial voyage, and who initially saw land.
Sis, Peter. (1991). Follow the dream: The story of Christopher Columbus. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Elementary. Tells the story of Columbus' determination to make the journey, his efforts to get funding, the perils of the voyage, and arrival in the Americas. Perpetuates romantic myths about Columbus and ignores Native American perspectives. Useful only as a source of comparison with another book which includes Native American perspectives.
Yolen, Jane. (1992). Encounter. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Elementary. Presents through large pictures as well as text Columbus' arrival in the Americas from the imagined perspective of a Taino boy. Describes the welcome the Taino extended Columbus and the patronizing treatment Columbus extended to the Taino. Hints at Columbus' cruelty and future destructive consequences for the Taino.
Sunshine, Catherine A. & Menkart, Deborah (Eds.). (1991). Caribbean connections: Classroom resources for secondary schools, overview of regional history. Available from The Network of Educators on the Americas, 1118 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037.
Provides valuable background information on the Arawaks or Tainos and the impact of Columbus and other European invaders on the native peoples in the Caribbean. Offers thoughtful questions and teaching activities which could be modified for use with elementary and middle level students.
Boston Women’s Teachers’ Group. (1993, Fall). Radical Teacher. Available from Radical Teacher, Box 102, Kendall Square Post Office, Cambridge, MA 02142.
This issue focuses on “Teaching Columbus” and includes articles questioning the traditional view of Columbus. Maria Sweeney’s article “Columbus, a Hero? Rethinking Columbus in an Elementary Classroom” describes her experiences in encouraging students to question what they know about Columbus, learn “the truth,” and create a documentary about Columbus for other students to broaden their perspectives on this “hero.”
Cobblestone Publishing. (1992, January). Cobblestone. Available from Cobblestone Publishing Inc., 30 Grove Street, Peterborough, NH 03458.
This issue “The Legacy of Columbus” contains articles which focus on Columbus as someone who began a process of change for people in the Americas and Europe through the exchange of foods, animals, and diseases and acknowledges the tragic effect on Native Americans.
National Council of the Social Studies. (1992, March/April). Social Studies and the Young Learner. Available from the National Council of the Social Studies, 3501 Newark Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20016.
Contains articles dealing with different perspectives, activities, and resources in teaching about Columbus. Provides selected resources for expanding school libraries (books, filmstrips, films, and videotapes) in teaching about Columbus.
Journal Articles, Book Chapters, and Books
Barreiro, J. (1990, Fall). View from the shore: Toward an Indian voice in 1992. Northeast Indian Quarterly, 7. 4-20.
Many Native people’s views about their views of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas are included in the article, but all agree that the European invasion led to the denigration of Native people and their cultures in the Americas. However, Native Americans continue to embrace extended family values and care for the earth while still struggling to survive.
Barreiro, J. (1990, Fall). A note on Tainos: Whither progress? Northeast Indian Quarterly, 7. 66-77.
The article is one of the best readings describing Taino culture prior to the arrival of Columbus and his men. The author depicts important values, language, appearance, health, and a lifestyle based on wise use of the physical environment among the Taino. The emphasis on feeding all Taino people is contrasted with Europeans’ emphasis on individual land ownership for wealth. All members of Taino society were involved in producing food in contrast to Europeans’ disdain for work with the land, which contributed to European people’s starvation at this time. Although the initial interaction among the Taino and Columbus and his men was cordial, when the Europeans demanded women and gold, took captives, and analyzed the land and the people in terms of their value to them, conflicts began. The article describes the disastrous consequences of Columbus’ second trip and the many cruelties directed toward the Taino people. The author closes with the question of what the West might have learned from indigenous people especially in terms of sustainable agriculture and ecosystems management.
Brady, P. (1992, September). Columbus and the quincentennial myths: Another side of the story. Young Children, 47, 4-14.
The author recommends early childhood educators clarify different myths regarding Columbus and recognize dominant perspectives. Then she suggests developing activities related to defining heroines/heroes, making mistakes, making peace, sharing and cooperation, and distinguishing between discovery and finding and myths and truths.
Bruchac, J. (1991, October). Otstungo: A Mohawk village in 1491. 1491: America before Columbus, National Geographic, 180, 68-82.
The article concentrates on the daily life among the Mohawk in 1491. The author emphasizes many ways in which Mohawk life was superior to European life at that time, including women’s power among the people, the system of government, how warfare was conducted, and people’s overall health. The article is part of the National Geographic series of articles describing Native American life in 1491 prior to Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.
Columbus, C. (1492-1493). The journal of Christopher Columbus (during his first voyage, 1492-1493) and documents relating to the voyages of John Cabot and Gaspar Corte Real (C. R. Markham, Trans.). London: Adamant Media.
Although Columbus’ journal is translated, the translated journal provides a primary source for Columbus’ perspective of his first voyage to the Americas from the time he departed on August 3, 1492 until he returned to Spain on March 15, 1493. The audience for the journal seems to be the King and Queen of Spain which must be taken into account. The journal documents that Columbus believed the King and Queen of Spain named him “Admiral of the Ocean Sea, perpetual Viceroy and Governor of all the islands and continents that I should discover and gain in the Ocean Sea, and that my eldest son should succeed, and so on from generation to generation for ever” (p. 17). The journal shows that Columbus recorded the distance he traveled each day, but counted less than that “because if the voyage was of long duration, the people [sailors] would not be so terrified and disheartened” (p. 22). Columbus took possession of the lands he encountered on behalf of the King and Queen of Spain and renamed the lands, ignoring the names already given them. For example, he first stepped foot on a small island Native people called Guanahani, but Columbus renamed the island San Salvador. This practice continued as Columbus encountered additional islands. The journal documents Columbus’ view of Native people he encountered. He often described their appearance and his assumptions regarding their knowledge and behavior: “they go as naked as when their mothers bore them” (p. 38), “they do not know any religion, and I believe they could easily be converted to Christianity, for they are very intelligent” (p. 47), and “the people are very docile, and for the longing to possess our things, and . . . give away all they have got” (p. 40). According to Columbus, Native people were often friendly and generous and sometimes asked Columbus if he and his men were gods because they came from heaven. However, sometimes they seemed fearful and ran away when he and his men came to their island or village. When Columbus asked Native people about the small amounts of gold they wore in their noses or ears, Native people often said Columbus could find more gold somewhere else. Ultimately, Columbus hoped Native people could be conquered, made to work for Columbus and his men, and become more like the Europeans.
For I, with the force I have under me, which is not large, could march over all these islands without opposition. . . . They have no arms, and are without warlike instincts; they all go naked, and are so timid that a thousand would not stand before three of our men. So that they are good to be ordered about, to work and sow, and do all that may be necessary, and to build towns, and they should be taught to go about clothed and to adopt our customs (p. 114).
Creamer, W. & Haas, J. (1991, October). Origins: Through Tewa eyes. 1491: America before Columbus, National Geographic, 180, 84-99.
The article focuses on illustrations of life among the ancestors of the Pueblo in southwestern United States before 1500 as part of the National Geographic series of articles describing Native American life in 1491 prior to Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.
Deagan, K. A. (1992, January). La Isabela: Europe’s first foothold in the New World. National Geographic, 181, 41-52.
Through archaeological evidence, the author provides some insight into La Isabella, the first European town in America, developed by Columbus and his men. However, the town was short-lived due to diseases, revolts against Columbus’ demands for building the town and planting crops, the destruction of fire and a hurricane.
Elleman, B. (1991, September). The Columbus encounter. Book Links, 1, 6-13.
The author suggests trade books suitable for grades 1-9 for introducing students to the period before Columbus arrived in the Americas; different views on Columbus, his voyages, and the world in which he lived; the beginning of the age of exploration following Columbus’ voyages; and the 500-year legacy left by Columbus including the devastation on Native people.
Goldberg, M. (1992). Searching for Columbus. Multicultural Review, 1, 10-17.
The author reviews a number of texts about Columbus, including some very dated trade books. He recommends several titles published in 1989 and 1990.
Henning, M. B., Snow-Gerono, J. L., Reed, D. & Warner, A. (2006). Listening to children think critically about Christopher Columbus. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 19, 19-22.
The authors describe a classroom activity in which fourth-grade students explore three different texts from various perspectives and author biases dealing with Columbus. The texts are Christopher Columbus: A Great Explorer by Carol Greene, Columbus Day by Vicki Liestman, and Encounter by Jane Yolen. The authors offer a list of questions to guide students in investigating the texts and a graphic organizer for recording responses. The authors also provide some evidence about what students learned from the activity by quoting classroom discussions.
Horse Capture, G. P. (1991). An American Indian perspective. In H. J. Viola and C. Margolis (Eds.). Seeds of change: A quincentennial commemoration (pp. 186-207). Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution.
The author reviews what has happened to Native people since Columbus arrived in the Americas and concludes that “no sensible Indian person can celebrate the arrival of Columbus” because he treated the indigenous people as less than human. He attributes conflicts between Europeans and native people to different beliefs and values, although there was potential for harmony between the two groups. However, Columbus viewed Native Americans with arrogance and disdain, which legitimized his capture of Native people as slaves.
Johnson, T. & Knapp, M. (1991, Fall Winter). Fireside: On Columbus and conquest. Turtle Quarterly, 4, 36-45.
The article portrays a discussion among John Mohawk, Lawrence Chisholm, Elizabeth Kennedy, and Jose Barreiro about Columbus “discovering the new world.” It emphasizes that most historians agree that Columbus did not discover America. One speaker posits it was more of an invasion of the world by Europeans in order to extract resources. Columbus’ focus was wealth, but he also violated human rights and renamed places. Columbus was part of western thinking which believed in its universal, correct nature, especially in regard to the universal aspect of Christianity and scientific thought and every other culture’s beliefs as incorrect. He wanted to create an ideal Catholic Spain in other lands. Mohawk concludes that Native American perspectives on Columbus finds nothing to celebrate because his invasion led to the deaths of over 10 million Native people, one of the most dramatic population decreases in world history.
Juhnke, J. C. & Yolen, J. (1993). An exchange on Encounter. The New Advocate, 6, 93-96.
The article contains James C. Juhnke’s numerous criticisms of Jane Yolen’s picture book Encounter, including its focus on individualism rather than the communal nature of Taino culture and the implication that the Taino should have abandoned their traditions of hospitality in order to avoid the harmful effects of Columbus’ arrival. Yolen also responds to these criticisms.
Llosa, M. V. (1990, December). Questions of conquest: What Columbus wrought, and what he did not. Harper’s, 45-53.
The author makes an interesting argument that the destruction of people in Central and South America was not just to the cruelty of the Spanish conquistadores, but to the cultural beliefs of the people. She blames the people’s religious devotion to one leader, who, when destroyed, left the people in confusion. The author now blames the Westernized Latin Americans for causing the destruction of indigenous people who face either assimilation into Spanish cultures or struggle to survive.
Loewen, J. W. (1992). Columbus in history and high school. Akwe:kon Journal, 9, 28-36.
The author reviews how Columbus was portrayed in 12 American history textbooks. He discovered texts ignored African and Asian explorations of the Americas and the roles of people of color in exploration. The author clarified such misconceptions in texts as Columbus’ goal in reaching the new continent, what the voyage was like, and the length of the voyage. Most notably, Loewen describes the uniqueness of Columbus’ exploration such as exploitation and slavery which led to economic and agricultural changes in Europe and the Americas.
Lyon, E. (1992, January). Search for Columbus. National Geographic, 181, 4-39.
The author and photographer include photographs of places Columbus and his family might have lived and worked in Italy and a reproduction of the ship, the Santa Maria. The author used primary documents to document aspects of Columbus’ life.
Meltzer, M. (1992). Selective forgetfulness: Christopher Columbus reconsidered. The New Advocate, 5, 1-9.
The author provides some background on his purposes in writing the trade book Columbus and the World Around Him. He tries to explain the historical context which contributed to Columbus’ views that Native people were inferior to Europeans and therefore were suitable as slaves. Meltzer quotes Columbus’ journal and the Spanish priest Bartolome de Las Casas’ books to illustrate Columbus’ views and cruelty toward the Taino.
Mohawk, J. (1990). Discovering Columbus: The way here. Northeast Indian Quarterly, 7, 37-46.
The author provides some context of events in Europe at the time of Columbus and how Christianity, militarism, and the Doctrine of Discovery (which European country first encountered a place had the right to explore and colonize it) supported Columbus’ explorations and exploitation of the Americas. Mohawk acknowledges Columbus discovered important truths about the seas and winds to enable him to make repeated voyages to and from the Americas. However, he also used European sailing and military technology available at the time.
Mohawk, J. (1992). Looking for Columbus: Thoughts on the past, present and future of humanity. In M. Annette James (Ed). The state of Native America: Genocide, colonization, and resistance (pp. 439-444). Boston, MA: South End Press.
The author claims that several factors led to the exploitation of Native people following Columbus’ journey to the Americas. The belief that Christianity was superior to other religions, the view that some societies were “primitive” while others were “civilized,” and the interest in profits over the environment all contributed to a Eurocentric view of the world. Mohawk asks readers to think differently about how societies should be constructed.
National Council for the Social Studies. (1991, October). The Columbian Quincentenary. Social Education, 55, 346-348.
The article contains the National Council for the Social Studies’ position statement for teaching about Columbus. The main ideas include: Columbus did not discover a new world; the real America Columbus encountered in 1492 was different from the place often portrayed in folklore, textbooks, and the mass media; the encounters of Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans following 1492 included the active involvement of all three groups; Native Americans experienced catastrophic mortality rates after 1492; Columbus’s voyages were part of Europe’s long history of interaction with Asia and Africa; and Spain, Portugal, and northwestern Europe all influenced the Americas.
Ortiz, A. (1991, October). Origins: Through Tewa eyes. 1491: America before Columbus, National Geographic, 180, 6-12.
The article focuses on Tewa life today and the Tewa creation story as part of the National Geographic series of articles describing Native American life in 1491 prior to Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.
Pascua, M. P. (1991, October). Ozette: A Makah village in 1491. 1491: America before Columbus, National Geographic, 180, 38-53.
The article concentrates on life among the Makah in 1491, including significant beliefs and songs; the importance of whaling, seal hunting, and food gathering; the meaning of potlatches; and the creation of a hierarchical society. The article is part of the National Geographic series of articles describing Native American life in 1491 prior to Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.
Puk, T. (1994). Epistemological implications of training social studies teachers: Just who was Christopher Columbus? The Social Studies, 85, 228-233.
The author investigated preservice teacher’s beliefs about what students learned about Columbus and discovered they held mostly myths about Columbus’s discovery of the Americas. He encourages teachers to research different perspectives on content, question “facts” they are teaching, focus on history as a number of stories from different perspectives, include the process of inquiry in which students find and interpret different “facts,” and recognize that history has often been “sterilized.”
Sale, K. (1990, October 22). What Columbus discovered. The Nation, 444-446.
The author contrasts Columbus’s European cultural background with Native people’s. He sees Columbus’s background as disconnected from a place and part of Europe’s growth of capitalism, emphasis on science, enslavement of people of color, colonization of the world, and destruction of environments. In contrast, the Tainos adapted to and lived in harmony with their physical environment in their housing transportation, and agriculture and the creation of a peaceful, generous culture.
Sardar, Z., Nandy, A., Davies, M. W. & Alvares, C. (1993). The blinded eye: 500 years of Christopher Columbus. New York: Apex.
The authors critique the European sense of superiority towards “Other” or anyone not European, which Columbus brought with him to the New World. This superior view was applied to anyone who embraced a religion outside of Christianity, adapted to the natural world rather than tried to subdue it, spoke languages different from the European languages of power, used nonWestern styles of reasoning, maintained nonEuropean dietary practices and sexual customs, embraced a communal lifestyle, and integrated body, soul, and mind rather than separated them. Columbus and other Europeans used these differences as the rationale for conquering and enslaving Native Americans, asserting the power to name their lands, converting them to Christianity, and civilizing them into European lifestyles. The authors caution readers against continuing to turn a blind eye to different cultures around the globe.
Stuart, G. E. (1991, October). Etowah: A Southeast village in 1491. 1491: America before Columbus, National Geographic, 180, 54-66.
The article concentrates on life among the Etowah in present day Georgia in 1491, including significant beliefs; the importance of food gathering, growing, fishing, and hunting; building great mounds; events leading to wars; and means of entertainment. The article is part of the National Geographic series of articles describing Native American life in 1491 prior to Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.
Sugnet, C., Yiannoussi, E.& Sommers, M. (1993). Fourteen ninety-two in the textbooks: A critique. Social Education, 57, 224-227.
The authors examined how seven U.S. History texts treated the events of 1492. They discovered the texts give little attention to Native people in the Americas before Columbus; omit Columbus’ cruelty toward Native people and emphasize diseases as the main reason for the decline in Native people’s population; if slavery is mentioned, it is not connected to Columbus; and none connected Columbus’s arrival with present-day conflicts between Native people and national governments.
Tavares, J. A. (1992, July-August). An Indian side of the Christopher Columbus story. 500 years of survival: Remembering the past looking to the future, special supplement The Eagle, 10, A8-A9.
The author explains reasons for Columbus’ and his men’s oppression of the Arawaks, including Columbus’ superior ships, weapons, and gunpowder, their beliefs in European superiority and Native American inferiority; and the motivation to take wealth from discovered lands. The author also blames the Arawaks for their willingness to welcome Columbus and his followers as friends and benefactors, which contributed to their demise at Columbus’ hands.
West, J., Weaver, D. & Rowland, R. (1992). Expectations and evocations: Encountering Columbus through literature. The New Advocate, 5, 247-263.
The article contains a description of a professor’s reading two different trade books dealing with Columbus to a fourth-grade class and a seventh-grade class. The traditional view of Columbus is portrayed in Follow the Dream while an imagined Taino perspective is included in Encounter. The authors portray many of the younger students’ tendency to portray Columbus as either very good or very evil and open to believing the Taino boy’s story. While the older students saw the Columbus story as more complex, they were also more skeptical of the new information contained in Encounter. The authors encourage teachers to emphasize critical reading, multiple perspectives, and to seek out the perspectives women and people of color who have often been omitted in texts.
Bigelow, B. & Peterson, B. (Eds.). (1998). Rethinking Columbus: The next 500 years. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
This publication offers teaching strategies, reviews of trade books, and background information for teaching about Columbus and the Taino and Thanksgiving. It also offers valuable background information on current issues for Native people, including treaty rights. Available from Rethinking Schools, 1001 East Keefe Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53212 1-800-669-4192.
Rediscovering America is a companion publication to Rethinking Columbus. Available from The Network of Educators on the Americas.
Includes Spanish translations of selected texts from Rethinking Columbus, additional poetry and prose by authors from Latin America and the Caribbean, and teaching ideas and resources.
Rampion Productions and Tyee Productions (Producers). (1991). The Columbus controversy: Challenging how history is written [Video]. (Available from American School Publishers, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing)
The video examines different views on Columbus, portrays his encounters with the Taino, and the development of his hero image in the United States, culminating with a national holiday to honor him in 1934. Bill Bigelow and his high school class are shown addressing the view that Columbus “discovered” America and grappling with how to acknowledge Native people’s experiences and Columbus Day. Two historians are interviewed with different views on the effects of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on the Taino and other Native people.