CHULA VISTA, Calif. (CNS) - Chula Vista officials and Native American leaders Tuesday will unveil a sign for the renamed Kumeyaay Park, the culmination of a long battle over the park and its former statue of Christopher Columbus.
The unveiling will be part of a ceremony that pays tribute to Kumeyaay culture, intended to honor the 13-tribe Kumeyaay Nation.
The 28-acre city park was previously called Discovery Park and featured a statue of the Genoese navigator from 1991 until it was taken down in 2020. The statue was created by sculptor Mario Zamora, who died in 2017. The city placed it into storage.
The figure was a target for vandals over the years, including splattering it in red paint and spray painting the word "genocide."
Former City Councilman Steve Padilla, now a State Senator, said at the time the statue "has been a source of controversy over the years, including repeated instances of vandalism and protest. Many have asked for its removal, and given all that is happening nationwide regarding America's legacy of racism, the city decided to put it in storage."
Some U.S. cities and states have replaced Columbus Day, which celebrates the Italian navigator's 1492 arrival in North America, with Indigenous Peoples Day to recognize native populations that were displaced or killed by the often violent colonization of the Americas by Columbus and other Europeans.
Kumeyaay Park is home to a ball field, soccer field, open green space, picnic areas, play equipment and restrooms.
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