Correspondance Timeline

Data Sent: 11/02/2024 From: House of Spain To: Superintendent Chris Rodriguez Subject: Updated brochure omits the birthplace of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Palma del Rio, Córdoba, Spain. • Advise the sender of the name of the correct person to address the information in the brochures. • Review the attached Peer review letter from Department of Interior from April 25, 2018. • Provide your response to the discrepancies in the Cabrillo National Monument Park information brochure.

Data Sent: 10/05/2024 From: House of Spain To: Superintendent Rodriguez Subject: Letter from Jose (Joe) A. Baptista Portuguese resident in Point Loma about Portuguese myth on João Rodrigues Cabrilho. No such person existed in Portugal. Letter received by email to the House of Spain. This letter was also sent to SDSU, CNM, Honorary Portuguese Consul in SD, etc...

Data Sent: 04/22/2024 From: House of Spain To: CNM Superintendent Chris Rodriguez Subject: Congratulations and welcome to San Diego

Data Sent: 03/12/2024 From: CNM Acting Superintendent Jodi Bailey To: House of Spain Subject: email - I am writing to confirm that your recent correspondence to the regional director, David Szymanski, was received and forwarded to me.

Data Sent: 02/27/2024 From: House of Spain To: Mr. David Szymanski, Regional Director, NPS, Pacific West Region Subject: Inspector General Case Number OI-HQ-24-0097-R

Data Sent: 01/22/2024 From: CNM Acting Superintendent Jodi Bailey To: House of Spain Subject: emails range from July 2023 to January 2024.

Data Sent: 11/28/2023 From: House of Spain To: House of Representatives Subject: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FAILURE TO PROPERLY ADDRESS COMPLAINTS OF INFORMATION QUALITY AND REQUESTS FOR CORRECTION

Data Sent: 10/20/2023 From: House of Spain To:Inspector General Subject: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FAILURE TO PROPERLY ADDRESS COMPLAINTS OF INFORMATION QUALITY AND REQUESTS FOR CORRECTION

Data Sent: 07/10/2023 From: House of Spain To: CNM Acting Superintendent Trystan Stern Subject: Contradicting, confusing and inconsistent information at the CNM. PEER_REVIEW_letter_from_Andrea_Compton-2018. DR. Wendy Kramer-- Cabrillo- The Journal of San Diego History.

On behalf of myself, Jesus Benayas, the House of Spain/Casa de Espana in San Diego, a 501 C-3 non-profit organization, and all visitors to the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California, I respectfully submit the following petition and complaint about information quality as authorized by United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Director's Order 11 B: Ensuing Quality of Information Disseminated by the National Park Service.

Thank you for reaching out. My name is Sophia Garcia, the Legislative Correspondent in Rep. Peters’ office. Since you last spoke with our office we have spoken with Andrea Compton at the National Parks Service who explained to us the plaque had not been approved because it contained information that was already present in other parts of the exhibit.

Dear Correspondence Control Unit and Ms. Doris Lowry: On behalf of myself, Jesus Benayas, the House of Spain/Casa de Espana in San Diego, a 501 C-3 non-profit organization, and all visitors to the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California, I respectfully submit the following petition and complaint about information quality as authorized by United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Director's Order 11 B: Ensuing Quality of Information Disseminated by the National Park Service.

On behalf of myself, Jesus Benayas, the House of Spain/Casa de Espana in San Diego, a 501 C-3 non-profit organization, and all visitors to the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California, I respectfully submit the following Petition for Correction under the Information Quality Guidelines as authorized by United States Department of the Interior.

Wearing a sharp blue suit and a stern look, Jesus Benayas strode to a podium at the Cabrillo National Monument. Behind him was a stunning view of the San Diego skyline. Below, boats bobbed in the bay. A few feet away, a 14-foot, multiton limestone statue of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo loomed over Benayas and about 40 other people. They had gathered on a warm Friday afternoon to commemorate the 480th anniversary of Cabrillo’s landing, near this very spot, on behalf of the Spanish crown. He became the first European to set foot in what’s now California.

Good afternoon, Honor guests, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen. My name is Jesus Benayas, President of the House of Spain in San Diego. It is my honor to take this opportunity to say a few words on this 480th anniversary of the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s landing on this beautiful bay.

National Park Service Regional Director, Pacific-West, Frank Lands, Cabrillo Monument Superintendent Andrea Compton, Mr. Jeffrey Aarnio CNM Administrator Officer, Immediate past Superintendent Thomas Workman, Dr. Iris Engstrand, Professor of History emerita, and Jesus Benayas, President, House of Spain. Each person introduced herself/himself.

Data Sent: 09/16/2022 From: House of Spain To: Acting Regional Director Lands Subject: Meeting Minutes with Acting Regional Director Lands, Superintendent Andrea Compton, Dr. Iris Engstrand, Former Superintendent Tom Workman at the CNM on September 8, 2022, at 2:00 PM.

Please recall we have previously contacted your office concerning incorrect information being disseminated to the public by the National Park Service at the Cabrillo National Monument. As you know, the Cabrillo National Monument is in your congressional district. For many years there has been a dispute over the nationality/birthplace of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo the first European to sail into San Diego Bay. In 2015 a prominent historian, Dr. Wendy Kramer, discovered conclusive proof that Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was from Spain. Dr. Kramer's findings have been reviewed and validated by numerous other historians. Since 2015 we have attempted to work with the National Park Service to update and correct the information disseminated by the National Park Service. We wish to update you on a recent meeting with the National Park Service and to request your office's assistance in correcting the inaccurate information at Cabrillo National Monument concerning the nationality of Cabrillo.

Thanks for setting up the meeting with the Regional Director. I wanted to reconfirm that the enabling legislation does state Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo by name and not the Portuguese name Joao Rodriquez Cabrilho. The second attached letter is the letter that was sent by you regarding the Peer Review Process. The letter states, I received confirmation of the historians who conducted peer review of this specific article and those include Dr. Carla Rahn Philips, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota, Dr. Harry Kelsey.

Section SlS{a) of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 directed agencies the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidelines to Federal to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by Federal agencies. All information disseminated by the National Park Service must comply with basic standards of quality to ensure and maximize the objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated to the public.

We disagree with your comment "Neither the park nor the National Park Service is a forum to take a stand for one country or another". This is not about taking a stand against one country or another. This is about correcting U.S.A. and Spanish history. Again, the name Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho is not recognized by any historian in any historical record as a person of fact.

As a long-time professor of Spanish History at the University of San Diego, I would like to know why Superintendent Andrea Compton of the Cabrillo Monument has returned the plaque in honor of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as the first Spanish explorer to land in San Diego in 1542 to the House of Spain.

Cabrillo National Monument in California: Spain and Portugal in face off over the origins of explorer A monument erected early in honor of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo,  the first European explorer to set foot in San Diego Bay in 1542, is causing a diplomatic headache

I am writing this letter in regards to the new museography of the Cabrillo National Monument (CNM/NPS). While respecting a stand taken by those responsible for the Cabrillo National Monument, this new museography may very possibly expand the confusion about Cabrillo's history, moving it away from the historical seriousness that this exhibition should uphold.

I received a response to my letter sent to you dated May 31, 2022, from Superintendent Andrea Compton dated July 11, 2022, of the Cabrillo National Monument. I am disappointed that my letter to you was directed to Superintendent Compton to reply. I have worked unfavorably with Superintendent Compton, as well as with David Louter, Chief, Cultural Resources Program, and Elizabeth Skinner, Cabrillo National Monument Chief of Interpretation and Education, for many years.

I received a response to my letter sent to you dated May 31, 2022, from Superintendent Andrea Compton dated July 11, 2022, of the Cabrillo National Monument.

Las autoridades del Cabrillo National Monument han devuelto a la Casa de Espana en San Diego, por la presion de la comunidad portuguesa, la metopa que recordaba las raices cordobesas del navegante que exploro la costa oeste de EEUU

Thank you for your letter dated May 31, 2022, to The Honorable Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC. Your letter has been forwarded to me for a response.

Thank you for your letter dated June 16, 2022, regarding the return of our plaque. Nevertheless, I am at a loss to understand why you insist on calling the plaque that honors the Spaniard Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as commander of the expedition of 1542 as a "temporary plaque."

In 2018, the House of Spain presented a temporary plaque to Cabrillo National Monument, for use at the park near the Cabrillo statue to relay information discovered by Dr. Wendy Kramer, about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s stated heritage as a Spaniard.

We are requesting your assistance regarding the interpretation and history of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at Cabrillo National Monument. The National Park Service (NPS) at the Cabrillo National Monument (CNM) could have solved the years of controversy that they created starting in 1934...

Good morning, Jesus. Yes, message received. Thank you again for bringing this to my attention. The configuration of that email had affected all external messages

Thank you for bringing to my attention the problems with electronic mail addressed to CABR_Superintendent@nps.gov. I have worked with our internet staff to resolve this issue. In the future, you should no longer receive a delivery error for emails sent to that address.

Thank you for your letter dated December 4, 2020, regarding the plaques and wayside exhibits at Cabrillo National Monument. Thank you for sharing your perspectives and opinions about the wayside exhibits, the plaques, and past management actions of National Park Service staff.

Thank you for your letter dated November 24, via email and same letter via FedEx on the 25. You say that the NPS follows National Park Service Management Policies 2006, but you and evidently the NPS directorship continue to ignore our question asking under what authority or ...

Thank you for your letter dated October 21, 2020, to Linda D. Walker, Acting Regional Director, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12, in response to a letter you received from the National Park Service (NPS) dated September 29, 2020

Thank you for your letter dated September 29, 2020, signed by Cindy Orlando, post marked October 10, 2020, and received by us on October 14, 2020

Thank you for your letter dated September 11, 2020, regarding the nationality of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and associated interpretation at Cabrillo National Monument.

On September 17, 2015, an article appeared in the Los Angeles Times by Peter Rowe with the subtitle "Documents indicate early explorer was Spanish, rather than Portuguese."

We started the meeting discussing the House of Spain's new wayside exhibit. Andrea rejected our Wayside Exhibit right away, saying that “she disagreed with them” They will post their wayside at the House of Spain in Balboa Park.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for your time as well, so we can move the wayside forward. A few more comments of our talk follow: • In Portugal for centuries, have used both names Juan and João. João is not a translation of Juan. Juan is a name and Joao is a different name, e.g. in the U.S.A. I know people borne here that are named Juan and John. They are two different names and persons.

I am requesting from you any information that you may have on Joao Rodrigues Cabrillo to justify the statue and plaques at the Cabrillo National Monument.

I am alerting you to the fact that an answer from the Regional Director concerning the approval of the permanent plaque identifying and honoring Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo as a Spaniard has not been received.

This is in reference to your attached letter dated September 25, 2018. Please note that it is postal dated October 1, 2018, and I did not receive it until October 5, 2018. There are several things that we disagree or are in error

The national identity of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo has always been in question among historians. Was he Portuguese or Spanish? To his contemporaries the indisputable question was not a consideration in that historical documents verify that he was born in Spain. Cabrillo's nationality has always been historically known but has been subject to question as a result of misinterpretations that had crept into historical interpretations about him.

The national identity of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo has always been in question among historians. Was he Portuguese or Spanish? To his contemporaries the indisputable question was not a consideration in that historical documents verify that he was born in Spain. Cabrillo's nationality has always been historically known but has been subject to question as a result of misinterpretations that had crept into historical interpretations about him.

Andrea Compton, Superintendent, Cabrillo National Monument We would like to confirm the fact that there is only one ceremony for the speeches and wreath-laying as we discussed on September 13 at your park. We were disappointed to see the following paragraph in the minutes of the festival meeting that you attended on September 18.

I am writing to you this letter to request your assistance in investigating why the Cabrillo National Monument Superintendent Andrea Compton is taking so long to make changes recognizing Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as the Spanish explorer

We have received your letter denying the placement of a permanent plaque showing the nationality of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as Spanish. This is very disappointing since the National Park Service has placed three questionable plaques at the statue site showing that Cabrillo is Portuguese.

At the request of Superintendent Andrea Compton, I have reviewed your May 12, 2018, letter requesting the installation of a permanent plaque at the base of the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo indicating that Cabrillo was born in Spain.

Your emails from May 26th and June 21st do not offer any answers to our requests. Although stated that you are working with regional and national staff to evaluate our request, there has been no definitive information. Or what you are evaluating?

Regarding the letter in support of placing a plaque at the foot of the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at this time, I am not able to send it until I receive approval from the Consul General of Spain in Los Angeles

I am in receipt of your letters of April 25 and April 26, 2018 in which you confirm that the peer review process indicating that Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo is indeed Spanish and not Portuguese has been completed. Those included in the process have all affirmed this fact through personal research and having reviewed the work of Dr. Wendy Kramer, author of the article containing the documents that appeared in The Journal of San Diego History in the Fall 2016 issue and a recent book about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (1497-1543) published in Cordoba, Spain, in 2018 by the City of Palma del Rio and the Regional Government of Cordoba (Diputacion de Cordoba). In addition, both Professor Engstrand and myself have traveled to Palma del Rio, the birthplace of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, to verify the documents published in the book mentioned above

In a letter dated March 21, 2018, you relayed the results of meetings between House of Spain members and former superintendent Tom Workman regarding the interpretation of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as a Spanish explorer. I appreciated the suggestions that the House of Spain and Mr. Workman are presenting relative to features and structures at Cabrillo National Monument. I consulted with regional staff and another past superintendent of the park in evaluation of your proposals.

December 19, 2018- First email from Elizabeth Skinner introducing herself as New Chief of Interpretation at CNM. December 20, 2018 – Responded to Elizabeth with dates to meet and acquaint with each other. December 21, 2018 – Elizabeth response being unable to meet, and that she will get back to me about future dates.

In the Journal of San Diego History, an article was published by Wendy Kramer entitled "Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Citizen of Guatemala and Native of Palma del Rfo: New Sources from the Sixteenth Century" (Volume 62, Numbers 3&4, Summer-Fall 2016). In a letter dated March 21, 2018, you expressed concern as to any documentation of the Peer Review from the National Park Service.

Recently we had a meeting with former Superintendent Tom Workman. He had indicated that he had a conversation with you regarding our concerns and other support groups of the issues surrounding the interpretation of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo as a Spanish Explorer. We had a meeting with the members of the House of Spain. Those in attendance were Jesus Benayas, Nina Yguerabide, Dr. Iris Engstrand, Tom Workman and other people.

I wanted to update you on my meeting I had with the members of the House of Spain. Those in attendance was Jesus Benayas, Nina Yguerabide, Dr. Iris Engstrand and myself. Maria Olsen will be added later