Governor Cuomo spoke as he marched in New York City’s Columbus Day Parade, honoring the 15th century Italian mercenary and explorer Christopher Columbus, who massacred and enslaved Arawak indigenous people while opening the door to the European colonization of the Americas.. On Monday, Cuomo nominated a statue of Christopher Columbus near Manhattan’s Central Park to the National Register of Historic Places. President Donald Trump also marked Monday’s holiday, tweeting, “Christopher Columbus’s spirit of determination & adventure has provided inspiration to generations of Americans. On #ColumbusDay, we honor his remarkable accomplishments as a navigator, & celebrate his voyage into the unknown expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.”