Comment on Penobscot Nation calls on city of Bangor to take down monument of Portuguese explorer

The Penobscot Nation is calling on the city of Bangor to take down a monument honoring a Portuguese explorer from the city’s waterfront. Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana originally proposed removing the monument for explorer Estevan Gomez to the Bangor City Council in June. The council formed a subcommittee to collect public comment and research Gomez, who 500 years ago journeyed to North America, kidnapped Native Americans and planned to sell them as slaves. On Thursday, Dana told members of the subcommittee that the monument was a continual reminder of traumatic events. “When I talk to tribal members about this issue, a lot of people say, well, why don’t we have a monument to a famous Penobscot who made a lot of contributions?