Sophie Sonnenfeld Photo
On Independence Day, 15 indigenous people gathered in Wooster Square Park by the stone pedestal that until 11 days earlier had supported a statue of Christopher Columbus.
Norman Clement, who is a member of the Penobscot Nation and a confederate member of the Quinnipiacs, helped organize a morning “purification ceremony” at the spot to cleanse the negativity and hatred he said he encountered when the statue was taken down.
“Today is for us to have a ceremony to re-bless this ground, give it back to the Quinnipiac ancestors who it belongs to and move on,” he declared.
To begin the purification, Clement and Rick Looking Crow Mazzadra, a city housing inspector who is from the Passamaquoddy tribe, undertook a spiritual practice called “smudging.”
They burned white sage in bowls in front of the stone pedestal. They directed the smoke and accelerated the fire with a ceremonial fan of feathers.
Mazzadra made his own fan with the feathers of the first turkey he hunted in 1982. The feathers are attached to a section of antler from the first deer he hunted and held together by tree sap.
Two black beads and one white bead representing his two sons and daughter hang off the end of Mazzadra’s fan so he can always carry them with him in spirit.
After cleansing the area around the pedestal, everyone in attendance lined up for individual smudging.
As each person stepped forward, arms outstretched and feet spread apart, Clement and Mazzadra held up the smudging bowls and used the ceremonial fans to outline every body with smoke.
Once every person was cleansed, all were invited to a standing circle where people were encouraged to pray, play music, sing, and share thoughts or stories.
Ceremonial tobacco.
Afterwards, Lion, who is a Connecticut liaison officer of the United Confederation of Taíno People, walked around handing out dried tobacco as an offering for people to place at the foot of the pedestal. Many raised the tobacco in one hand to the sky before reaching through the iron fence, sprinkling it around the stone.
At first, Marisol Oliveras’s daughter Lilian Negron was hesitant to join in the ceremony. Oliveras and Negron, who moved from Arizona to Waterbury in 2003. said they were never fully aware of their role in the indigenous community.
While she was growing up, Oliveras said, her grandmother practiced some Taíno customs and traditions. The Taíno are indigenous people from the Caribbean who were the first natives Christopher Columbus encountered in 1492. “She did things that were a little bit odd and off to me, and my mother used to tell me, ‘Well, that was Taíno.’”
Marisol Oliveras (right) and Lilian Negron.
Oliveras said she never fully explored her roots. She felt there was always “a drum beat in my life that was missing.” It wasn’t until after her mother passed away four years ago that Oliveras decided to have her DNA tested. It turned out she was 17 percent Taíno.
After the test she said she got more interested in exploring Taíno history and culture. She then attended a UConn rising powwow where she met Lion Heart. When he was introduced holding the Taíno flag, Oliveras said she was overwhelmed with pride. After the ceremony, she introduced herself to Lion Heart who right away welcomed her with open arms.
Since then, he has invited Oliveras to powwows and introduced her to other people in the indigenous community. “They’ve been very welcoming and very supportive.”
Saturday morning was the first time 18-year-old Negron came to an indigenous ceremony. “I just saw everyone was having a good time, it was very open, and there wasn’t any negativity so I decided to give it a try!”
What Next
For years, Norm Clement (pictured at the ceremony) has pushed to take down or rename monuments, buildings, and the national holiday celebrating Columbus. “We fought for years to get this taken down, and why was it taken down? Because a little white girl wrote an essay. So her voice was heard, but not ours.”
Clement said he has not yet had the chance to speak with rising Wilbur Cross High School junior named Rhea McTiernan Huge who wrote that piece and created a petition calling for the statue’s removal. He said it was “a great thing she did.”
Clement said Mayor Justin Elicker should have included indigenous people to serve on the committee exploring how to replace the Columbus statue. As a vocal activist, Clement said he was also disappointed that Elicker has not even reached out to him at all.
“We’re still not respected. Our treaties aren’t respected, our voices aren’t respected.”
Mazzadra also said he would like to see more Native American representation in New Haven. “Invite us more and love each other more” he said.
Lion Heart.
Mazzadra said he doesn’t think the Columbus statue should be replaced with another statue or any monument at all — just grass. Motioning to the ground, Mazzadra said, “Without her, you and me can’t even exist. Keep her face beautiful.”
Lion Heart said he might not be opposed to the Wooster Square statue committee replacing the statue with a different Italian-American hero. “We’re not against the Italian community replacing the statue with one of their personal heroes, as long as they’re not connected to the same principles that Columbus represented like the genocide and the slave trade.”
Lion Heart, Clement and Mazzadra.
Lion Heart said it was important to take down the statue in order to teach children and future generations the truth about Columbus. “We want the Italians to be happy, enjoy life, celebrate their culture, celebrate their people, but do it the right way.”
Mazzadra, who attended the statue removal, said he stayed on the outskirts because of the hatred and violence from pro-statue protesters. “We don’t believe in the devil, just negative energy. Today we’re looking for a cleansing for everybody so we can start anew,” he said Saturday. “It’s a purification for all to just make calm waters again.”