Junipero Serra: The Fabrication of a Saint - 26:04

The Fabrication of a Saint: Native Peoples Horrified
Over Canonization of Junípero Serra, Whom They Say
is Responsible for Genocide
withChristine Grabowski, author of Serra-gate the Fabrication
of a Saint published in Indian Country Today

The decision of Pope Francis to canonize 18th century Spanish
missionary Junípero Serra has provoked the ire of indigenous
peoples, whose ancestors were murdered and  maimed during
Serra’s founding nine of the 21 missions in California that later
were the basis of what is now the modern state. Hundreds of
thousands of native peoples are purported to have died after the missionaries arrived. According to historian Alvin Josephy, what happened in California "was as close to genocide as any tribal people had faced, or would face, on the North American continent." We’ll speak with Christine Grabowski, author of serra-gate the fabrication of a saint about why indigenous people oppose Pope Francis’ decision to canonize Father Junípero Serra.

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