--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Away back in that time-in 1492 - there…" description: "\"Away back in that time-in 1492 - there was a man by the name of Columbus came from across the great ocean, and he discovered the country for the white ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/chitto-harjo-227622_columbus_away-back-in-that-time-in-1492-there-was_2479397.png" --- # Away back in that time-in 1492 - there was a man by the… ![“Away back in that time-in 1492 - there was a man by the name of Columbus came from across the great ocean, and he discovered the country for the white man. . . . What did he find when he first arrived here? Did he find a white man standing on the continent then? . . . I stood here first, and…” quote by Chitto Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/chitto-harjo-227622_columbus_away-back-in-that-time-in-1492-there-was_2479397.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/chitto-harjo-227622_columbus_away-back-in-that-time-in-1492-there-was_2479397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/922/chitto-harjo-227622_columbus_away-back-in-that-time-in-1492-there-was_2479397.png) > “Away back in that time-in 1492 - there was a man by the name of Columbus came from across the great ocean, and he discovered the country for the white man. . . . What did he find when he first arrived here? Did he find a white man standing on the continent then? . . . I stood here first, and Columbus first discovered me.” Chitto Harjo ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A claim about Columbus’s discovery is reframed to suggest that Indigenous peoples were already present before European arrival. **In simple terms:** Indigenous peoples were here before Columbus. Key Takeaway Recognize pre‑colonial histories. Themes history colonialism indigenous rights identity perspective Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type Columbus:0 Continents:0 Country:0 Discovery:0 Firsts:0 Men:0 Names:0 Ocean:0 Standing:0 Time:0 White:0 White man:0 Columbus Discovered:0 Columbus Came:0 Discovered Country:0 Stood Columbus:0 Continent Stood:0 When to use this quote - education curricula - museum exhibits - public discourse - political speeches Key Concepts post‑colonial critique revisionist narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does reframing discovery change our understanding of history? - What responsibilities arise from acknowledging pre‑colonial presence? A Different Perspective This view may oversimplify complex encounters and ignore varied indigenous experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [White man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-man/) ## Related quotes > [This (Vietnam) was a land of rebellious barons. It was like Europe in the Middle Ages. But what were the Americans doing here? Columbus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/this-vietnam-was-a-land-of-rebellious-barons-it-was-like-europe-in/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [When we first broke into that forbidden box in the other dimension, we knew we had discovered something as surprising and powerful as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/when-we-first-broke-into-that-forbidden-box-in-the-other-dimension-we/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [I have a healthy disrespect for religion. I really do. When Columbus came to this country in 1492 he brought syphilis, diphtheria, tuberculosis, influenza…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-feherty/i-have-a-healthy-disrespect-for-religion-i-really-do-when-columbus/) [David Feherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-feherty/) > [I'm sure you're gonna be taught, if you haven't already, that the people that were here, the Native Americans were beautiful, they were wonderful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-sure-you-re-gonna-be-taught-if-you-haven-t-already-that-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“his stomach as flat as the earth was rumored to be before Columbus discovered the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-blakely/his-stomach-as-flat-as-the-earth-was-rumored-to-be-before-columbus/) [Lauren Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-blakely/) > [What a pity, when Christopher Columbus discovered America, that he ever mentioned it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-asquith/what-a-pity-when-christopher-columbus-discovered-america-that-he-ever/) [Margot Asquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-asquith/) > [Columbus only discovered that he was in some new place. He didn't discover America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/columbus-only-discovered-that-he-was-in-some-new-place-he-didn-t/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Everybody in 15th century Spain was wrong about where China was and as a result, Columbus discovered Caribbean vacations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/everybody-in-15th-century-spain-was-wrong-about-where-china-was-and/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The true America is the Middle West, and Columbus discovered nothing at all except another Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-l-george/the-true-america-is-the-middle-west-and-columbus-discovered-nothing/) [W. L. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-l-george/) > [“We say that Columbus discovered America and Newton discovered gravity, as though America and gravity weren't there until Columbus and Newton got wind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/we-say-that-columbus-discovered-america-and-newton-discovered-gravity-2/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [We say that Columbus discovered America and Newton discovered gravity, as though America and gravity weren't there until Columbus and Newton got wind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/we-say-that-columbus-discovered-america-and-newton-discovered-gravity/) [Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/) > [Arithmetic must be discovered in just the same sense in which Columbus discovered the West Indies, and we no more create numbers than he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/arithmetic-must-be-discovered-in-just-the-same-sense-in-which/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“You're like Christopher Columbus. You discovered something millions of people did before you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-simpson/you-re-like-christopher-columbus-you-discovered-something-millions-of/) Lisa Simpson > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Columbus discovered no isle or key so lonely as himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/columbus-discovered-no-isle-or-key-so-lonely-as-himself/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More Columbus quotes > [I think at Ohio State, we're professional athletes in Columbus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezekiel-elliott/i-think-at-ohio-state-we-re-professional-athletes-in-columbus/) [Ezekiel Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezekiel-elliott/) > [“Columbus was not the first person to discover America, but the last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-domingos/columbus-was-not-the-first-person-to-discover-america-but-the-last/) [Pedro Domingos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-domingos/) > [I walk out into a nature such as the old prophets and poets Menu, Moses, Homer, Chaucer, walked in. You may name it America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-walk-out-into-a-nature-such-as-the-old-prophets-and-poets-menu/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Without adventure all civilization is full of decay. Adventure rarely reaches its predetermined end. Columbus never reached China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/without-adventure-all-civilization-is-full-of-decay-adventure-rarely/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [And your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians and Princes, devoted to the holy Christian faith and the propagation thereof - and enemies of the sect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/and-your-highnesses-as-catholic-christians-and-princes-devoted-to-the/) [Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/) > [I'm a Buckeye at heart. I spend more time giving concerts in Ohio than I do in any other state - perhaps more time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jarreau/i-m-a-buckeye-at-heart-i-spend-more-time-giving-concerts-in-ohio-than/) [Al Jarreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jarreau/) > [I remember my first run-in with cops. It took me really getting to hang, well after that, with cops who were cool, and realizing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/i-remember-my-first-run-in-with-cops-it-took-me-really-getting-to/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [Chris Columbus was really interesting to watch how he works with children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-ellis/chris-columbus-was-really-interesting-to-watch-how-he-works-with/) [David R. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-ellis/) > [ We see it \[the as-yet unseen, probable new planet, Neptune\] as Columbus saw America from the coast of Spain. Its movements have been felt,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-herschel/we-see-it-the-as-yet-unseen-probable-new-planet-neptune-as-columbus/) [William Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-herschel/) > [Columbus discovered no isle or key so lonely as himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/columbus-discovered-no-isle-or-key-so-lonely-as-himself/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [There are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived or at any other time in history. Does this sound like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-are-more-american-indians-alive-today-than-there-were-when/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [It is the striving after perfection that makes one an artist. It is the sense that one is imperfect, unfulfilled, unfinished. One attempts by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/it-is-the-striving-after-perfection-that-makes-one-an-artist-it-is/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Force was the factor in the government of the world when Christ was born, and force was the source and exercise of authority both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/force-was-the-factor-in-the-government-of-the-world-when-christ-was/) [Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/) > [“If Captain Cook was not the first of European navigators to discover the Hawaiian Islands, he was at least the first to chart and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-david-kalakaua/if-captain-cook-was-not-the-first-of-european-navigators-to-discover/) [King David Kalakaua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-david-kalakaua/) Browse all 284 Columbus quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Away back in that time-in 1492 - there was a man by the name of Columbus came from across the great ocean, and he discovered the country for the white man. . . . 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