Yale University is now removing an 88-year-old stone carving that depicts a Native American and Puritan that was previously modified to remove the settler’s weapon.
Breitbart News reported earlier this month about a modification made to a stone carving on Yale University’s campus. The carving, which depicts a Puritan and Native American holding a musket and bow, respectively, was modified to cover up the Puritan’s weapon. The modification left the Native American displaying his bow.
The university has now decided to remove the stone carving entirely from outside the entry of the school’s Center for Teaching and Learning. According to a press release from the university, “The decorative piece will be made available for study and viewing, and written material will accompany it and place it in historical context.”
Yale’s decision to modify the carving stems from the assertion that it depicts “colonial violence.” Yale Alumni Magazine reports: “The university consulted faculty and other scholarly experts, who concluded that the image depicts a scene of warfare and colonial violence toward local Native American inhabitants.”
“We cannot make alterations to works of art on our campus. Such alteration represents an erasure of history, which is entirely inappropriate at a university,” Yale President Peter Salovey stated. “We are obligated to allow students and others to view such images, even when they are offensive, and to study and learn from them. … We do so in a setting that clearly communicates that the content of the image is not being honored or even taken lightly but, rather, is deserving of thoughtful consideration and reflection.”