Present Day Cabrillo National Monument
Today, Cabrillo National Monument represents a few significant ideas. It is a major symbol of controversy due to its memorialization of a European explorer who harmed many Indigenous peoples upon his arrival in the New World. It is crucial to recognize the true meaning behind the Cabrillo Monument in order for historically underrepresented groups to be recognized.
The monument to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo still stands as a relic today linking San Diego to an imagined Spanish colonial past. By glorifying the expeditions of European conquistadors like Cabrillo, the Eurocentric concepts of "civilization" are reinforced as the lived experiences of Native peoples are discounted.
In the present, the National Parks Service addresses these concerns about Native representation. They have put forth efforts in painting a complete vision of Cabrillo, revealing his harmful nature towards San Diego's original Native settlers. The museum accompanying the monument in Point Loma does not glorify Cabrillo's expeditions and instead points out how he was unsuccessful in his mission of establishing trade routes to Asia.
Furthermore, the Cabrillo Museum makes an attempt to highlight Native voices such as the Kumeyaay. It calls attention to the violence committed by the explorers, along with providing an exhibit that shows the practices of the Kumeyaay people. The museum also periodically screens a film outlining the life and expeditions of Cabrillo that prominently features interviews with the current Kumeyaay community leaders, explaining the impact that European contact had on San Diego's Native peoples.