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10/30/1989 - Goodbye Columbus by William L. Melvin

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS WLM October Quito ECUADOR Goodbye Columbus Peter Bird Martin Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs Wheelock House West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 Dear Peter Imagine difficulty elementary school instructor Latin America For years teaching history straightforward especially discovery New World The Spanish equivalent English ditty In Columbus sailed ocean began narrative caravels Nina Pinta Santa Maria Then there conquistadors whose courage vaulted above their humble origins continent populated backward admittedly fascinating Indian cultures And gearing students commemorate 500th Anniversary Columbus voyage along those Indians merry making In Spain whence likes Hernn Cor Fernando Pizarro Vth Centenary revolves around theme A Meeting TwO Worlds In Andean countries Ecuador worlds taking exception cause Indigenous peoples Andes prefer characterize years since Columbus dropped anchor Caribbean beginning Years Indian Resistance On October representatives Indian nations constitute Ecuador indigenous population million gathered Ouito Plaza Independencia demand hearing native New World history Abundant graffiti bright banners delivered strong words There never there conquest invasion And We Indian nations3 desert brush brush grows The rally organized Confederacibn Nacionalidades Indigenas Ecuador CONAIE Indians advocacy group formed Lest crowd doubt group position CONAIE leader Manuel Castro affirmed publicly We reject October celebrated jubilee worthy festival The Conquest massacre looting whatever indigenous culture Spaniards found their William L Melvin Fellow Institute studying South American Indian societies Andean affairs Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contributions minded individuals foundations Accustomed relative silence Andean Indians Columbus Day outburst unsettled Ecuadoran proud Spanish ancestry One editorialist warned ultraindigenismo sought Vth Centenary occasion implant struggle races would substitute Ibeoamerica frustrated struggle between classes Another writing under title And If Columbus Had Never Come concluded Noone justify lamentable facts three centuries colonial But neither close reality remains We mestizo enjoys Indians Spaniards Many sanguine exchanged God And enjoy ability think write fecund idiom Spanish today spoken humanity But Luis Huamhn young uichua Ecuador southern sierra Cuenca precisely noblisse oblige attitude needling Appointed direct CONAIE Vth Centenary campaign Huamn unequivocal views We Incas unfortunate nation without written alphabet Conquest Ours tradition So conquistadors chroniclers manipula present pagans Ours religion earth Pachamama Today civilized persons uncivilized depredating forest We revise history And Vth Centenary opportunity instill reflection In standing their version Columbian society Andes however CONAIE taken haired archivists Sevilla Madrid It began CONAIE founding group introduced legislative draft entitled The Law Indigenous Peoples IndigenoUs Affairs Committe Ecuadoran Cmara Diputados excerpts below Since debated since CONAIE using present visibility refocus attention Though called indigenous reads Indian Bill Rights which explain Ecuadoran legislators reluctant debate CONAIE publicizing concrete aspects proposed legislation One positi sections Article which would place Quichua Ecuador other ntive idioms equal footing Spanish country official languages Section V further mandating Ecuador collaboration CONAIE institute bilingual education ogram promote active literacy indigenous peoples Both points crucial CONAIE contention Ecuador nation nations Ampan Karakras another CONAIE delegates explains logic behind sections devoted native idioms When enroll children public schools using their rightful indigenous names prevented doing We Spanish national language uichua Our names relegated level exotic We foreigners country Racism exists little relation cultural identity Ecuadoran slators loath comment publicly CONAIE legislative proposal light three years And Alonso Calderbn Ecuadoran President Rotiridgo Borja cousin personal Now adviser indigenous affairs quite clear writer progress CONAIE executive responsibility Perhaps social scientists interesting But resident myself thing matters final version comes Presidential Palace Borja signature Until final debated version powerless Indeed observers Borja government ready indigenous petitions One observer remarked A people government Indian affairs close President What lnean Calderbn heart indigenous peoples country To Calder6n redit presidential adviser flaming beard belie commitment improving Ecuador Indians He works barebones office Yet impressive executive trappings Calderbn secretary young Ouichua woman Otavalo Dressed native costume convenient Calderbn The President takes daily Ouichua lessons enable better understand approximately million Quichua speaking Indians sierra Calderbn already proficient native idiom freely mixing Quichua phrases predominantly Spanish interview Calderbn fools either In viewed effort CONAIE sails Columbus Day President Borja invited leaders Shuar Achuar nation Presidential Palace order award natives clear title hectares tribes Amazon basin homelands Rather CONAIE representatives event CONAIE claims represent Shmr Borja upstaged indigenous rivals inviting visiting French President Francois Mitterand witness ceremony CONAIE guest earlier Borja presided similar ceremony Cof Indians along Napo River Ecuador northeastern forest CONAIE desire perceived legitimate organization representing country indigenous peoples explain incessant demand North American based Summer Institute Linguistics SIL expelled Ecuador SIL worked sierra forests since When President Galo Plaza invited linguists decipher Indian languages create alphabets would facilitate bilingual education programs allow translation New Testament native tongues But agreement signed between SIL founder William Cameron Townsend Galo Pla In President Jaime Ro Aguilera signed executive decree telling SIL As Alfonso Calderbn How could Roldbs ignore majority indigenous groups We control education But Calderbn admits SIL endered great service country Obviously Calderbn alone ambivalence regarding SIL Two after signing SIL decree Roldbs plane crash His successor Osvaldo Hurtado SIL American linguists welcome finish their ongoing Though Roldbs decree officially rescinded SIL Personnel granted personal extensions andallowed continue translating Eight years later SIL spokesman Ray Petersen takes CONAIE motives We profile We missionaries build churches Our teach indigenous peoples their idioms The N Testament instrument Literacy allows these people their decisions about To SIL built capacitation center Limincocha along Napo River housed training everything carpentry clothesmakJng And addition SIL regular activities translation transliteration Dictionaries published legends stories languages diverse Quichua Secoya That Petersen Now process pulling We expect CONAIE understand We Our linguists ethnologists committed programs years They there study involved politics Unfortunately politics SIL biggest problem Petersen admits SII given office space encouragement indigenous organizations other CONAIE In Federacibn Ecuatoria Indigenas Evangelicos FEINE representing about Ecuador organized indigenous peoples opposed Roldbs SIL expulsion decree CONAIE clearly competition At CONAIE second biannual congress November CONAIE leaders referred FEINE other CONAIE affiliated indigenous groups fantasmas created split Indian movement President Borja conservative predecessor Le6n Febres Cordero Franklin Torres normally reserved career diplomat staffs Ecuador Spain Joint Commission Vth Centenary recognizes CONAIE point drawing attention pleasant facets Conquest Nevertheless concludes CONAIE attitude toward SIL Commission means thing CONAIE wants power Torre themselves At moment CONAIE cause alarm But would mistake Ecuadorans ignore completely legaliy expressed petition groups CONAIE To south Peruvians testify impossibility putting flames illegal terrorist violence death victims since January Meanwhile Madrid Excellency Rey Juan Carlos Espafia could thing maddening waiting Franco regime resume Bourbon throne snuffing candles opposing parties 500th Anniversary Conquest As CONAIE Proposed Law indigenous Peoples I Indigenous Nationalities Article The Republic Ecuador multinational state which indigenous peoples exercise their cultures rights especially respect autodetermination which provide guarantee Article The indigenous peoples Ecuador those located within Republic territorial boundaries They represent historical social cultural economic continuity communities populated Ame before arrival European invaders Article The Ecuadoran state recognizes indigenous nations following peoples Ouichua Siona Secoya Cofn Huaorani Shuar Achuar Chachi Tsachila Awa I Guarantees Indigenous Nations Article The Ecuadoran state recognizes right indigenous peoples maintain promote unique culture The state guarantees promote continuance indigenous peoples social customs languages modes thought Article The Ecuadoran state recognizes official languages Republic Ouichua other native tongues those territories where spoken The state guarantees resources means conservation indigenous languages accord educational needs administration justice social security benefits other public services Article The indigenous nations Ecuador enjoy permanent representation following state organs The Na tional Development Council Court Constitutional Guarantees National Council Culture National Council Education Consultation Committee Foreign Relations National Development Bank other political organizations formulate public policy national regional local level Article When awarding contracts affect lives indigenous peoples petroleum exploration contracts necessary obtain favorable written pronouncement respective indigenous groups The state rescind agreements compacts contracts religious cultural civil public private organizations dismiss judicial personnel undertake programs enact judgements contrary unity cultural permanence those indigenous nations protects Ill Indigenous Territories Article Ii The indigenous nations Ecuador possess territorial rights lands inhabit conditions subsistence physical space develop their respective cultures guarantee conservation Ecuador natural resources Article Territorial rights exercised accord regional circumstances ownership traditions nation prejudice prior common rights Ancestral ownership respected those rights granted under previous legislation In application Ecuadoran state establish statute territorial rights applicable indigenous nations Article On lands public dominion state limits boundaries those territories presently occupied indigenous peoples Such determination guarantee exclusive usufructuary rights other natural resources contained within these territories indigenous peoples Article Rural lands pertain indigenous communities indivisible reserved commerc dealings exempt state taxes Article In controversies lands owned indigenous peoples criteria favorable indigenous peoples applied Article No public sector company execute either directly indirectly exploration projects exploitation natural resources works construction concede authorization tourist oriented activities rural lands possessed indigenous communities V Indigenous Organizations Article The Confederacibn Nacionalidades Indigenas Ecuador CONAIE recognized legitimate representative organ indigenous nations Ecuador Article CONAIE affiliates enjoy juridical institutional autonomy Article The Government Ecuador expressly prohibited allowing legal existence groups promote establish division within Ecuador indigenous peoples Article Those persons organizations foment division otherwise adversely affect unity cultural permanence Ecuador indigenous peoples sanctioned person organization legal status V Education Culture Article The Ecuadoran state recognizes right indigenous peoples participate decisively conduct orientation education promotion culture Article Declare obligatory bilingual intercultural education programs territories inhabited indigenous peoples Article The objectives plans programs teaching activities undertaken implement bilingual education system established accord CONAIE other indigenous institutions Aticle Where educational establishments located terri ories inhabited indigenous peoples indigenous organizations participate administration nomination teachers administer evaluate bilingual education plans programs VI Indigenous Medic Article The Ecuadoran state guarantee continued exercise tradtcionai practices native medicines Article Health programs developed territories inhabited indigenous peoples undertaken written agreement CONAIE respective indigenous organizations providing respect traditional customs knowledge indigenous groups VII General Dispositions Article Those indigenous organizations obtained juridical status represented their directives always providing groups present documen legal support signed CONAIE legal assessor CONAIE legally recognized affiliates Aticle The Ecuadoran state through General National Budget provide annual funds CONAIE Said funds finance administrative activities organizational plans CONAIE Translation W L Melvin All photos taken W L Melvin Received Hanover