Christopher Columbus and the monsters he didn’t find

Columbus believed he would find 'blemmyes' and 'sciapods' – not people – in the New World [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 8 October 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note When Columbus reached the New World, he found indigenous Americans, new crops and strange animal species. But there was one thing he didn’t find: “I have not found any monstrous men in these islands, as many had thought,” he wrote in his official report. University of Southern California historian Peter Mancall explains how fictionalized monster sightings and wildly exaggerated traveling accounts [instilled a belief in monsters in Columbus and his contemporaries](. Many Native American languages are dying. Alaska Gov. Bill Walker recently declared a “linguistic emergency” to save the state’s 20 native languages that are fast disappearing. University of Montana’s Rosalyn R. LaPier writes the language loss should be of concern to all of us, as they are “[holders of complex systems of knowledge](” with cultural insights crucial to our relationship with the natural world embedded in them. Key American values – liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness – are often associated with the Declaration of Independence, or with the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock. In fact, write archeologists Lewis Borck and D. Shane Miller, these ideals can be traced back thousands of years to the nomadic, freedom-seeking native peoples who occupied North America well before Christopher Columbus “discovered” it. In fact, write archeologists Lewis Borck and D. Shane Miller, [these ideals can be traced back thousands of years]( to the nomadic, freedom-seeking native peoples who occupied North America well before Christopher Columbus “discovered” it. Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Top stories The statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle, New York City. Zoltan Tarlacz/Shutterstock.com [Columbus believed he would find ‘blemmyes’ and ‘sciapods’ – not people – in the New World]( Peter C. Mancall, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Christopher Columbus' 1492 voyage was really a journey into the unknown. Centuries of conventional wisdom had conditioned him to believe that bizarre beasts and 'monstrous men' would be awaiting him. Dance is a unique way of passing on cultural stories to a younger generation. Aaron Hawkins/Flickr.com [How the loss of Native American languages affects our understanding of the natural world]( Rosalyn R. LaPier, The University of Montana Many Native languages are dying, and their loss has deep and profound implications for our world. The 2016 Standing Rock protest was only the most recent manifestation of the indigenous American values inherited by European settlers on this land. James MacPherson [Indigenous people invented the so-called ‘American Dream’]( Lewis Borck, Leiden University; D. Shane Miller, Mississippi State University Anti-immigrant policies ignore that American ideals like liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness can be traced back to the indigenous pioneers who once moved freely across North America. Economy + Business - [Amazon and other ‘superstar’ companies could give all American workers a raise]( Carolin Schellhorn, St. Joseph's University The rise of superstar companies that dominate their industries may be partly to blame for the lack of wage growth in the US in recent years. It could also suggest a solution. Politics + Society - [How Columbus, of all people, became a national symbol]( William Francis Keegan, University of Florida An anthropologist tells the story of how Columbus actually came close to falling into historical obscurity, until American hubris got in the way. 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Feeney Arizona State University [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111