Y'all weren't exactly martyrs yourselves. Source. Although I empathize with you about all the needless harm that was done...

In my college history class awhile ago we were talking about all of this, and one event that's actually noted is that Queen Isabella specifically directed Columbus to approach any peoples' he found diplomatically and for the benefit of mutual interests. She wanted to do trade with anyone that was found basically. Columbus disobeyed that order seeing it as an opportunity to conquer them and trade them as slaves for personal profit and their resources when he got there.