Not-So-Friendly Indians Open Thread

Lot of claims today that Christopher Columbus has been genetically tested and was a Sephardic Jew.

I just saw this last week when I googled for Christopher Columbus. The conspiracy theory goes like this: Columbus's name was not, of course, Columbus. It was Christobal Colon.

But why then do we call him Christopher Columbus? Supposedly, "Colon" is a name with "Jewish roots." That's vague and I don't know what that means.

But anyway Spain, which financed his exploratory venture, was antisemitic and would expel all the Jews out of Spain just as Columbus reached the Bahamas, and I guess they wanted to hide the fact that they were financing a mission led by a Jew, so they called him "Christopher Columbus."

Or so they say. I don't know if I believe this.

Here's the Epoch Times on the genetic testing claims.

Christopher Columbus was Jewish, according to DNA extracted from his remains in Seville Cathedral.

The outcome of a long scientific investigation was revealed on primetime national television on Spain's national day on Saturday.

The ethnic identity of the 15th-century explorer, whose expeditions opened the way for Europeans to colonise the Americas, has long been debated.
A view of the mausoleum of Christopher Columbus in Seville cathedral. Columbus died in the Spanish city of Vallodalid in 1506 but wished to be buried on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola
A view of the mausoleum of Christopher Columbus in Seville cathedral. Columbus died in the Spanish city of Vallodalid in 1506 but wished to be buried on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola
MARCELO DEL POZO/REUTERS

As a Sephardic Jew he would have suffered persecution, and historians have surmised that this contributed to the mystery of his origins.

Scientists examined the bones of Columbus and of his son, Hernando. "Both in the 'Y' chromosome and in the mitochondrial chromosome of Hernando, there are traits compatible with Jewish origins," said José Antonio Lorente, professor of legal and forensic medicine at the University of Granada.
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The findings -- the culmination of 20 years of research -- put to rest the most popular theory that Columbus was an Italian sailor from Genoa, as textbooks have stated for centuries.

Columbus's DNA reveals a "western Mediterranean" origin, according to the professor who said that he could not state categorically which country or region.
Landing of Columbus (12 October 1492), by John Vanderlyn. The previously accepted theory was that Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451, to a family of wool weavers
Landing of Columbus (12 October 1492), by John Vanderlyn. The previously accepted theory was that Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451, to a family of wool weavers

Francesc Albardaner, a historian who has studied Columbus and refuted the theory of his Genoese origins, said his research pointed to Columbus being of a silk-spinning family from Valencia.

Anyway, did you ever hear about how peaceful the Indians were and how we taught them War?

That's what Kamala Harris claims:

The reality was that Indians, like all peoples, were waging war on each other well before Europeans came along to Teach Evil to Them.

Some real Friendly Indians -- the full "I Know You Know" song from Psych.

Note this is a little screwy because they spliced in the second verse of the song, but from a different recording. It's not in the shortened version of the song they recorded for the show.

I don't know why they didn't just record the shortened theme song and the full song with the second verse, for possible release as a single. I mean, you're right there! in the studio. Spend an extra half hour recording the second verse!

The did a single-length version of "Believe It Or Not" and that was a hit. Though I don't know if they did the extra material when they did the theme song, or later went back to the studio to record an extra verse and a middle eight. I kind of dig the instrumental part.

posted by Ace at 06:00 PM

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