Two sayings have been running through my head quite frequently as of late: “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it,” and “History rarely repeats but it often rhymes.”
In her blog titled “The BackStory,” one history teacher writes that “history is the story of us and can teach us who we are, where we come from, and perhaps reveal where we want to go.” In this context, the reported removal of signs – many about our nation’s historical subjugation of other peoples and races – from national parks and monuments across the United States is concerning.
Per reporting from the Washington Post, signs that have been removed addressed topics such as the forced removal of Native Americans, US Army massacres of Native peoples, the intentional erasure of Native culture by US-run boarding schools, and the lives of enslaved people. Some signs were in Spanish or discussed joint preservation efforts with Mexico. One told the story of Ganado Mucho, a Navajo leader who worked with the US Army and ranchers in the area to settle disputes without violence.
Kristen Brengel, a senior vice president of the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement that “We are capable of hearing about our tragedies and our victories, and this systematic erasure should concern everyone in our country.”
Interested in learning more about the Love One Another initiative? Visit the archives.
