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Syracuse University’s men’s lacrosse defensive coordinator John Odierna revived a centuries-old anti-Indigenous phrase and branded it across the backs of the team’s practice jerseys.

The phrase, “burn the boats” or “burn the ships,” coined by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, is a nod to his brutal massacre, enslavement and colonization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. In a game that has always been and will always be Indigenous, “burn the boats” has no place in it.

Five hundred years ago, Cortés embarked upon a military conquest of Mexico. Acting under the authority of the Spanish Crown and the Catholic Church, Cortés’ voyage was justified by the Doctrine of Discovery. The Doctrine of Discovery stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be claimed and exploited by Christian colonizers. If Indigenous people inhabiting these lands couldn’t be converted to Christianity, they were enslaved or killed.

When Cortés arrived in Mexico, he ordered his men to burn or sink their own ships so that there would be no option but to continue their conquest of Indigenous Peoples of the “New World.” What resulted was the largest trade of enslaved Indigenous people in North America. Cortés led the way, becoming the largest owner of enslaved Indigenous people in Mexico. To mark their enslavement, Cortés branded the faces of Indigenous men, women and children........

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