Table of Contents
Music Clip
Songtext
Translation
Global New Generation, 2021
COLUMBUS GOT COMPLETELY LOST
A man who called himself Colum-bus,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
He’s known because of songs like this,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
But is that really all so true?
Do you know what he tried to do?
Gloria, Victoria, Columbus had a mighty plan:
Gloria, Victoria, “I’ll be the king of India’s land!”
He made a deal with Spain’s crowned pair,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
But they never aimed for over there!
Wittywittywham bam bam.
They wanted spices, gold, and tea—
From India, a new colony!
Gloria, Victoria, but what’s the truth we’ve come to know?
Gloria, Victoria, does anyone know how it did go?
[PAUSE]
He gathered 90 men with pride,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
And three small ships set out to ride,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
Then one day he cried, “I see land!”
“India—it’s just as I planned!”
Gloria, Victoria, Columbus got it all confused!
Gloria, Victoria, but no one told the awful news!
Who is this man with skin so pale?
Wittywittywham bam bam.
He plants his flag and tells a tale,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
He might be kind, they thought at first—
“Sit down, have food, come quench your thirst!”
Welcome, welcome, come join us here, don’t be so shy!
Welcome, welcome, come share our meal, give peace a try!
With Bible held in steady hand,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
He said it’s for the royal land,
Wittywittywham bam bam.
But then came shouting, fear and cries—
The strangers fired before goodbyes.
Oh, I feel so heavy, my brothers taken far away.
Oh, I feel so heavy, Mama, what happened here today?
[PAUSE]
Columbus, what was in your mind?
How many lives did you leave behind?
He thought that he was brave and bold—
But all he craved was power and gold.
Oh, I feel so heavy, thinking of the times gone by.
What we learned in school was wrong—I almost believed the lie.
Colouring picture
America
America is a very big continent.
People have been living there for about 15,000 years. There are many different nations with their own languages, cultures, and ways of life.
Many of these nations understand something very important: The Earth doesn’t belong to us. We are part of nature — and that means we should treat it with care and respect.
The “West Indies” are a group of islands in North America.
They got their name from a sailor who thought he had arrived in India — but he was wrong! Still, the name stayed, because for a long time, history was written only by Europeans.
They often ignored or erased the stories of the people who already lived there — the Indigenous peoples.
In the year 1492, Spanish sailors came to America.
After a long and dangerous journey across the ocean, they landed on the coast. The people who lived there welcomed them kindly and shared food and help.
The Spaniards were in bad shape — hungry, sick, and weak. Some of the local people got sick after being near them, too.
Even though the Spaniards were not the first visitors, many Europeans later said they were the “discoverers” of America. They were celebrated, while the people who had always lived there were often forgotten.
People who lived in North America at that time
People who lived in South America at that time
Columbus said he was welcomed by a group called the “Taíno.”
After that, he started calling all the people who lived there “Taíno.” But that wasn’t true. The Taíno were just one group among many.
In 1492, about 300,000 people lived in the “West Indies” — some say even up to a million!
They were organized into five different groups. These groups had things in common, like speaking Arawakan languages. But they were not all the same, and they had their own names and cultures.
The I-Word
Why don’t Indigenous peoples of the Americas want to be called “Indians”?
“Indian” is a name that was given to them by others.
The Indigenous peoples never called themselves that.
It was the colonizers from Europe who used the word.
Christopher Columbus wanted to sail to India to find gold and spices for the Queen of Spain.
When he saw land, he thought he had reached India.
He was wrong, but he still called the people there “Indians”.
But the people already living there had their own names, their own languages, and their own cultures!
At that time, the land wasn’t even called America yet.
There was no single name for the whole continent.
Each nation had its own name for its land.
Take a look at the map.
A long time ago, many different peoples lived on the continent we now call America. Each of these peoples had their own land, language, and rules. They didn’t want to all be called the same name because they were very different.
Imagine if someone came to your home and said, “From now on, you have a different name!” That would be pretty rude, right?
So when we talk about the people who lived there back then, we say “Indigenous peoples of the Americas” or in English, “Native Americans.”
Their cultures were very different because they lived in many kinds of places—forests, mountains, deserts, or islands. Their customs and ways of life were also very different. In many cultures, music was an important part of daily life. Drums and rattles were played a lot, but bells, whistles, flutes, and other instruments were also used. Many dances and rituals had special spiritual meanings. People danced for rain, for the sun, for protection, or to remember important events.
In some cultures, people believed in shamanism. They had medicine men or medicine women who acted as helpers between the spirit world and the visible world. It was believed they could heal the sick, see the future, or help with important decisions.
It’s important to remember: Indigenous peoples of the Americas did not have just one religion. Each nation had its own beliefs, stories, and ceremonies.
Indigenous Peoples Day
In 1934, the president of the United States made the second Monday in October “Columbus Day.” The white settlers said that America was a “new world.” The Indigenous peoples of America were never asked what they thought—otherwise, this probably wouldn’t have happened.
But the Indigenous peoples protested and fought for many years to have the truth told: Columbus didn’t “discover” America. Instead, he took over the land, hurt the people, and stole from them.
In 1992, on the 500th birthday of Columbus’s arrival, people in California started to replace “Columbus Day” with “Indigenous Peoples Day.” This day reminds us that long before Columbus came, many people lived in America—and they still live there today.
The day is also called First Peoples Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day, or Native American Day. It’s important because it honors and recognizes the original people of America.
Sadly, some people still celebrate “Columbus Day” and forget the true history of the Indigenous peoples.
The Speaker
My name is Naeemah Siemsen, I’m 27 years old, and I’m a singer from Berlin. Since April of last year, I’ve been working with Global New Generation, and before that, I was involved as a volunteer. The topics we work on here are very important to me. I believe that changing perspectives is essential to reveal the truth of our world’s history, especially for children and young people. Embracing change in a positive way is crucial.
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