History is composed of self-told stories; so it can never be totally unbiased. Most of the stories we hear about Europeans “discovering” America are told from the European point of view. One key to overcoming racism involves listening to stories from alternate points of view. We will explore some of those alternate stories, using Christopher Columbus as a case study. We will examine the European purported “discovery” of America and the damage the Doctrine of Discovery continues to perpetuate on Native Americans and the entire family of creation now living on Turtle Island.
Presenter: Rev. Gary Jacabella, a UM pastor in Eastern PA for 34 years, is the son of an Italian-American history teacher who “could always handle the truth about Columbus and a lot of other things.” Gary has Masters degrees in both Divinity and Holistic Spirituality, and he has trained to become a Spiritual Director. Each year he directs a weeklong wilderness camp with a Vision Quest Theme for 6th through 9th graders at Gretna Glen’s summer camp. He also plays the Native American Flute.