My first souvenir was designed as a stretched out penny similar to those you would get at a museum or monument you would visit. I placed Christopher Columbus at the bottom of the penny, very small, to downplay his significance and show him less respect than the modern monument does. Above Columbus, there is a a larger figure of a Native American statue from the Taino tribe which is the first tribe him and his men came in contact with a directly affected. This souvenir is made to show that the negative impacts made on the natives is more significant than the positive exploration impacts Columbus had.
My second souvenir, which my group ended up using in our final project, is a fake three dollar bill. The number three holds significance because of Columbus’ three ships and the fact that there were three native tribes established in the new world before him and his men arrived. The front of the bill features the Taino native tribe that was negatively impacted by his voyage. The back side is showing the culture of the Italian Americans. I decided to feature both sides of the argument over wether or not the monument should stay in Columbus Circle as it is or be torn down. Both my souvenirs and my monument is made to respect both sides.
