SAN FRANCISCO 鈥� A 19th-century statue that has been described as degrading to Native Americans will be removed from its public spot near San Francisco鈥檚 City Hall, joining a growing list of historic markers being ousted under pressure from the U.S. public.
The San Francisco Arts Commission voted unanimously on Monday to remove the Early Days sculpture, which depicts a Native American at the feet of a Spanish cowboy and Catholic missionary. It is part of the Pioneer Monument cluster that depicts the founding of California.
People who had lobbied for the statue鈥檚 removal cheered at the vote. 鈥淚t definitely feels like a long time coming,鈥� said Barbara Mumby, an arts commission employee who is descended from Native tribes in California and New York. 鈥淚 think some people may not understand how big of a symbol it is to be able to take this down.鈥�
The issue has simmered for decades, but the San Francisco Arts Commission started the removal process in October after demonstrators clashed over the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, last August. San Francisco鈥檚 Historic Preservation Commission agreed in February to the statue鈥檚 removal with the condition that a plaque be placed to explain why it was removed.
Critics of removal said the public shouldn鈥檛 erase what happened, even if the history is ugly. The Ohlone inhabited the San Francisco area before they were driven out by Spanish settlers.
Tom DeCaigny, the city鈥檚 cultural affairs director, said the commission wasn鈥檛 trying to forget or revise history.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the right thing to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we heard loud and clear from the community and from diverse stakeholders that this was not a monument that reflected San Francisco鈥檚 values.鈥�
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