Notre Dame to cover up murals of Columbus in the New World

The University of Notre Dame will cover murals in a campus building that depict Christopher Columbus in America, the school’s president said, following criticism that the images depict Native Americans in stereotypical submissive poses before white European explorers.

The 12 murals created in the 1880s by Luis Gregori were intended to encourage immigrants who had come to the United States during a period of anti-Catholic sentiment. But they conceal another side of Columbus: the exploitation and repression of Native Americans, said the Rev. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame.

It is a ‘‘darker side of this story, a side we must acknowledge,’’ Jenkins said in a letter Sunday.

The murals in the Catholic university’s Main Building are painted directly on walls. Jenkins said they will be covered, although they still could be occasionally displayed. A permanent display of photos of the paintings will be created elsewhere with an explanation of their context.

‘‘We wish to preserve artistic works originally intended to celebrate immigrant Catholics who were marginalized at the time in society, but do so in a way that avoids unintentionally marginalizing others,’’ Jenkins said.

In 2017, more than 300 students, employees, and Notre Dame alumni signed a letter in the campus newspaper that called for the removal of the murals.

But Notre Dame law student Grant Strobl said the decision was disappointing. ‘‘If we adopt the standard of judging previous generations by current standards, we may reach a point where there are no longer accomplishments to celebrate,’’ Strobl said.

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