Last week, Yale University reported its decision to remove a long-standing stone carving from campus due to its violent depiction of a Puritan settler aiming his musket at the head of a Native American. Evidently, the ivy-league school could no longer bear looking at a statue that’s been affixed to campus for almost nine decades.
The University initially altered the carving by placing removable stonework over the musket in order to conceal the violent act but kept the overall artwork intact. However, this was not enough for students passing by the artwork each time they entered the campus library.
In a second attempt to erase history and appease outraged students, Yale has proposed to move the piece from the Sterling Memorial Library to a currently undetermined location.
“The decorative piece will be made available for study and viewing, and written material will accompany it and place it in historical context,” reads a statement from the university.
The original decision to simply conceal the Puritan’s musket was made by members of the facilities division during the renovation of Yale’s Center for Teaching and Learning.
According to Eileen O’Connor, Vice President for Communications at Yale, employees behind the original artwork change were “unaware of the University’s principles for renaming, which were outlined in a report released last December.”
Last Tuesday, Yale President Peter Salovey took a slightly different stance when he stated that the University should abstain making any changes or “alterations to works of art on our campus” and affirmed that although the sculpture is being moved, it should be kept for history’s sake.
“We are obligated to allow students and others to view such images, even when they are offensive, and to study and learn from them. In carrying out this obligation, we also have a responsibility to provide information that helps all viewers understand the meaning of the image. 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,” President Salovey said in a statement.
