“Land Back” Graffiti Sprayed on the Pioneers Monument in Minneapolis

The Pioneers Monument was sculpted by John K. Daniels and dedicated in 1936 to honor early European settlers in Minnesota. Vandals covered the granite base in red paint, writing "Decolonize," "Land Back," and "All Colonizers Are Bastards" across the statue and its steps. The monument depicts pioneer figures in bronze atop a stone pedestal and has drawn criticism in recent years from Indigenous activists who argue it glorifies colonization. Similar defacement has targeted other Minneapolis monuments tied to settler history amid broader calls to reconsider public memorials.