As Native students and people of color have argued and historical records confirm, the 1919 Pioneer (toppled on June 13, 2020 by parties unknown) was meant from its creation as a celebration of violent white supremacy.

PhD candidate Marc Carpenter has researched and talked about the monument for the past two years, uncovering the sordid history of The Pioneer as part of his broader research into the memory, commemoration, and erasure of settler violence in the Pacific Northwest.

Carpenter’s research has already earned significant notice in news coverage:

KEZI, “Students Suggest Pioneer Statue Removal”

Emerald Daily, “New research reveals the Pioneer statue’s controversial history”

KLCC, “Q & A: University of Oregon Historian Discusses Pioneer Statue”

To learn more, read the full report here:

“Reconsidering The Pioneer, One Hundred Years Later”