Notre Dame will cover the murals of Christopher Columbus

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame will cover murals in a campus building representing Christopher Columbus in America, said the president of the school. , following criticisms that the images depict Amerindians in stereotyped submissive poses before white European explorers.

The 12 murals created in the 1880s by Luis Gregori were intended to encourage immigrants who arrived in the United States during a period of anti-Catholic sentiment. But they hide another facet of Columbus: the exploitation and repression of Native Americans, said Reverend John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame.

This is a "darker side of this story, a part that we must recognize," Jenkins said. in a letter Sunday.

The murals of the main building of the Catholic University are painted directly on the walls. Jenkins said they would be covered, although they could still be exposed to the opportunity. A permanent exhibition of photos of the paintings will be created elsewhere with an explanation of their context.

"We want to preserve originally designed works of art to celebrate immigrant Catholics who were marginalized in society at the time, but in a way that avoids involuntarily marginalizing others," Jenkins said.

In 2017, more than 300 students, employees and alumni of Notre Dame signed a letter in the campus newspaper calling for the removal of murals.

The President of the Native American Student Association praised Jenkins' decision

"It's a step forward in recognizing the humanity of aboriginal peoples who have preceded us, "said Marcus Winchester-Jones of Dowagiac, Michigan.