Students gain perspective on history

Born in the Bronx, González is bicultural with Taino and Puerto Rican roots. His work as a speaker, poet and storyteller focuses on his indigenous heritage.

González is also on the Board of Storytelling Center, Inc. in New York.

He has written two books, "Song of the American Holocaust" and "The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry."

"I want to share the stories and misconceptions about native people, but it’s so dangerous to be aware of what did happen," González said.

Inside his book "The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A collection of Dangerous Poetry," there is a satirical warning about the book being outlawed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Though it isn’t true yet, González says it may be one day soon.

But he keeps spreading the untold side of history.

"We can break out of this cycle of war and hatred but the first step…is to look at history honestly," he said to his full audience Monday night.

Freshman Trung Le agreed.

"I also think that we cannot change history, but we can take it as a meaningful lesson to improve our actions now and in the future," he said.

Through the duration of his presentation, González told the audience of history that isn’t found in textbooks. It’s the history of the American natives that is covered up or glossed over.

Freshman Elizabeth Kuka called his lecture a learning experience.

"I was very surprised at some of the history Bobby told from the native point of view. I realized how much we, as Americans, really don’t know about our history," she said.

González said that natives don’t believe in the Bering Strait Theory.

This theory says that natives are decedended from Asians. They propose that natives crossed the Bering Strait over a former land mass connecting present day Russia and Alaska. After crossing they moved west and south, populating the Americas. González said he disagreed.

"We originated from this land," he said. "More than 90 percent of natives come from South America."

He also questioned the status of Christopher Columbus.

"He was a rapist, a murderer and a thief," González said.

He called George Washington a town-burner. What history books do not teach is that in 1779 he burned the farmland of many natives in order to make them leave.

There is even a misconception about honest Abraham Lincoln, according to González. He didn’t free all slaves, only the African American ones. His Emancipation Proclamation didn’t include the natives.

A misconception in South American history is that the Aztecs believed Cortes to be a god. According to González, they knew he wasn’t one.

González said that a large misconception today is that all the unfair treatment of natives has been made up for with land reservations and money.

"That is what is owed to the native people," González said. "Many people have earned every penny they have gotten. But more than money, many people want respect."

Le said, "I was quite sympathy and open to what Mr. González said."

As a student from another country, Le has a unique view on the speech.

"It did not change my perspective much though," he said. "I am from Vietnam, so you can say that I see the matters in the American history from an outsider’s point of view, which is less bias, or favorable of either side."

González has spoke around the nation at Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, Yale University, John Hopkins University and many more colleges and museums.

The history department, President Jay Moseley, Vice President for Academic Affairs David Brailow, Director of Residence Life Latika Webster, and the Maurice and Rose Endowment were all a part of bringing González to Franklin College. Spanish Professor Sara Colburn-Alsop arranged it.