Last week, guest writer Evelyn Immonen wrote a fantastic piece concerning the racist origins of the “Redskins” football team name. Reading this article brought to mind a similarly culturally insensitive image located within the Charlottesville community. Many of you may not have noticed the George Rogers Clark statue located in Monument Square, across from Mellow Mushroom. If you did, you might have wondered why the city of Charlottesville would boldly display a statue depicting the “Conqueror of the Old Northwest” on horseback, riding toward a group of Native Americans who appear to be cowering in his wake. At best, this depiction may represent an ill-thought attempt to pay homage to a historic icon born in the city of Charlottesville. At worst, this monument appears to romanticize Manifest Destiny and the subsequent expulsion of millions of Native Americans from their homelands. Either way, this monument is a disgrace upon our community and should be removed.
On one hand, it is easy to understand why a city with a proud colonial heritage such as Charlottesville would want to commemorate the historical contributions of an individual such as Clark. Born and raised in Charlottesville, Clark was a prominent Revolutionary War veteran whose campaigns against the British led to the latter’s relinquish of the Northwest Territory (now the present day Midwest). All communities have a right to honor their veterans, especially those that were instrumental in the founding of this country. However, one should take a holistic view of Clark’s military service. During the Revolutionary War, forces under Clark’s command perpetrated numerous abuses against Native Americans, including burning down entire villages and publicly executing captured tribesmen to intimidate tribes allied with the British. Following independence, Clark was a prominent leader in the Northwest Indian War initiated by colonial settlers seeking to expand into Native American territory. Branding Clark as a “conqueror” glorifies these actions.
Charlottesville is not the only city to face controversy over its historical imagery. Last year Saint Louis University relocated a statue of a Jesuit missionary praying over two Native Americans after faculty and staff questioned whether such an image was culturally appropriate. Critics of the relocation claimed the school administration should not have allowed itself to be pressured by overly politically correct activists. They defended the statue as a product of a “different time.” Similarly, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed into law an act relocating the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the State House to a state military museum after critics accused the flag of being a symbol of white supremacy.
The Clark statue is clearly a more egregious offense than the aforementioned images and does not deserve to be relocated to a history museum, alongside memorials of men and women who better epitomized the ideals of the Charlottesville community. I cannot imagine how one could defend this memorial as anything other than an overt approbation of the genocide perpetrated against Native Americans. Perhaps some people would rather overlook this monument of racial oppression and historical injustice rather than acknowledge the United States’ role in the plight of indigenous peoples.
Although few have taken issue with the Clark statue, the Charlottesville community should seize the initiative and remove it. Doing so would surpass the precedents set by South Carolina and other states around the country that have decided to remove culturally insensitive monuments from public spaces and reaffirm our commitment to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. While some will no doubt see this as another manifestation of an overly politically correct society that is too easily offended, I think it is important to consider how an indigenous person would react to the sight of the Clark statue, and what inferences they would likely draw from a community that prominently displays it in public view. Furthermore, finding a suitable replacement would not be difficult. From former President James Madison to the late Civil Rights activist Julian Bond, Charlottesville has a litany of notable residents who better embody the values our community holds most dear.
Brandon Brooks is a Viewpoint writer.
Correction: a previous version of this article incorrectly referred to George Rogers Clark as William Rogers Clark.
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