American Indian Activists’ Cheers Are Short-Lived : Observance: Long Beach council overturns its decision of a week earlier to discourage city-sponsored Columbus celebrations.

The American Indian activists celebrated for one short week.

Long Beach officials had agreed not to host replicas of Christopher Columbus’ ships in the city’s harbor this fall. And activists boasted of this to their friends. Long Beach will not honor a man who began systematically killing our people, they told one another.

Then the councilmen changed their minds.

On Tuesday, council members overturned a decision made a week earlier to discourage city-sponsored celebrations honoring Columbus. The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria may dock in the harbor this September and November.

“This is a response essentially to commercialism,” said Councilman Warren Harwood, one of two councilmen who voted against the change. “My colleagues know the Native Americans have no money to spend in the port.”

The quincentennial of Columbus’ 1492 arrival in America is being honored in cities across the country this year. However, the events, including Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses Parade, have drawn criticism from activists who note that Columbus’ arrival began 500 years of domination and torture of American Indians.

“He brought a whole new way of thinking to America,” said Michael Anderson, a Santa Monica man who said he was part Cherokee. “It’s called capitalism.”

Tuesday’s debate lasted two hours and was laced with accusations of racism and comparisons to the Rodney G. King verdicts.

“Columbus was the first white racist in America,” said Anna Christianson, a leader of the Indigenous Resistance Resource Network. “You want to celebrate white racism when my city is burning because of it.”

Although the dates have not been confirmed by Spain ‘92, an American corporation organizing the ships’ itinerary, the caravel plans to dock in the Long Beach harbor on Sept. 26 and from Nov. 6-29, according to Los Angeles County’s office of protocol.

Though port officials said no money has been set aside for the ships’ arrival, Deputy Chief of Protocol Ginger Irvine Barnard said other cities estimate it costs $10,000 a day to maintain the ships’ crews.

Most cities charge visitors an entrance fee to cover expenses, she said.

Before the activists’ presentations, Long Beach city officials had received little or no information about the ships’ visit. The first vote, taken April 29, came at the end of a lengthy night meeting with only six council members present. Mayor Ernie Kell left during the activists’ testimony.

“The ships have historical significance,” Kell said Tuesday. “To deny other people the opportunity to visit the ships I think would be a little self-righteous.”

Harwood, a frequent critic of the mayor, later accused Kell of responding to his campaign contributors.

“I would be remiss, representing a minority group, to sit here and condone the hosting of these ships,” said Councilman Clarence Smith, the only black man on the nine-member council. Attempting to soften the council’s new decision, Councilman Evan Anderson Braude asked that events planned by the Harbor Commission include an educational forum put on by “indigenous people who undeniably suffered as a consequence of European conquest.”

Vice Mayor Jeffrey Kellogg objected, calling the statement an opinion, and the council omitted the last part of the sentence.