The four Republican members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation are asking Gov. Tim Walz what became of the Christopher Columbus statue that used to reside on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol.
The Columbus statue in question was placed on the Capitol grounds in 1931 by Italian Americans who sought to honor the famous explorer. However, the statue was forcefully torn down on June 10, 2020 by vandals associated with the American Indian Movement.
The leader of that group, Mike Forcia, was charged with first-degree destruction of property for the incident. Ultimately, the felony charge against Forcia was suspended. He was sent to a diversion program and received no jail time.
Before the statue was desecrated, the Walz administration admitted it was aware of a pending situation where groups were threatening to tear down the statue that day. Despite this, the statue was torn down by protesters a short time later.
Hours after the statue fell, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, said, “I can’t say I’m sad the statue of Christopher Columbus is gone. I’m not.”
Since then, the whereabouts of the statute are unknown. It previously resided on the east side of the Minnesota State Capitol’s upper mall.
This month, President Donald Trump declared Oct. 13 to be Columbus Day in honor of “the legendary Christopher Columbus — the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth.”
After that proclamation was issued, Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, and Brad Finstad wrote to Walz inquiring about the toppled Columbus statue.
“The destruction of this monument, which represented our state’s historical heritage, was carried out through a disgraceful act of vandalism,” the Republicans said. “Allowing a mob to forcibly remove state property without consequence undermines respect for the rule of law and the shared civic values that bind us as Americans.”
In their letter, the Republicans asked if Minnesota is still in possession of the statute and if there are any plans to restore the statue to its previous location or another public site.
“We urge you to ensure that state property and historical monuments are treated with the respect and legal protections they deserve,” said the group, addressing Walz. “Restoring the Columbus statue would signal Minnesota’s commitment to preserving history, honoring lawful process, and rejecting acts of vandalism as a means of political expression.”
That letter was sent to Walz’s office earlier today, Columbus Day. Alpha News contacted the governor’s office for this story but did not immediately receive a response.
This morning, Walz was in Minneapolis for an Indigenous Peoples Day event.
“Today is Indigenous Peoples Day – a time to honor the 11 sovereign Tribal Nations and robust urban Native communities that continue to enrich our state’s cultural landscape, economy, and heritage,” said the governor. “It was a beautiful morning to celebrate on the shore of Bde Maka Ska.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
