8/29/2017 1 Comment #41: Sir John A. MacDonaldEarlier this week we heard about Ontario Elementary Teacher's Federation motion to replace schools with his namesake and it sparked a great deal of conversation, mostly against the controversial motion. Public polls show that the majority of Canadians do not support the move, which brings to light three important facts:
On the bright side, press either good or bad brings awareness to the process of reconciliation in general. Personally, I think the name of John A. MacDonald should be replaced with more locally relevant names (perhaps keep it in areas where he was born, or died, or did something of local significance). Doubt I'll ever stray from my preference to focus on regional or provincial relevancy, but realize that that viewpoint is not shared by many so won't harp on it too long. While the majority and the current Prime Minister may disagree with the move, it has brought to light how far we have yet to go to share a common understanding and perspective about our shared history. At this moment in time, I think we can all agree that we disagree about how MacDonald is viewed in this country. Some see him as a hero and others as a villain, how we we all come to a common understanding will be well worth the journey and I look forward to how our leadership will proceed from here. I doubt the current public disagreement and polling will deter those who feel very strongly that MacDonald was an architect of genocide and that removal of celebratory namesakes and monuments is an act of reconciliation. To be clear, I'm not going to stop using $10 dollar bills and haven't really thought of MacDonald with any malice throughout my life. Even when I read the statements from MacDonald (compiled below by Indigenous Corporate Training) that relate to Indigenous people, I mostly want to understand the fundamentals of how he came by these perspectives, as colonialism did not start with MacDonald. He was a product of a well established system of colonialism, or then imperialism that began in the 15th century. Did he believe he and other western European societies were superior, likely. Was he given a task to establish a colony in one territory held by a political power from another territory, and guide the subsequent maintenance, expansion, and exploitation of that colony, likely? Was he an evil person lacking values, I can't really say. Did his policies lead to mass deaths and the erasure of the Indigenous family unit, yes. Taking all those factors in to play, I am going to stick with my perspective (even though it is on the fence) that more locally relevant names should replace his, in circumstances where he has not local relevancy. Here are ten statements about Indigenous people by Sir John A. MacDonald (read and come up with your own conclusions):
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About me
I grew up in Athabasca, AB and have spent the majority of my life in Northern Alberta or Montreal, PQ. My husband has been in Fort McMurray since the 70s and continues to love this town and all that it has to offer. We are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending our summer weekends quadding and camping. As Opimian members we thoroughly enjoy wine pairings and tastings and are working on our wine collection. Ralph is a carpenter by trade and has framed more houses in Fort McMurray than I could count and knows the city inside and out. I work all throughout the region from the NWT to Janvier for the tribal council. My passion is doodling and photography which is featured throughout the website (various mediums), writing, Indigenous studies, and learning in general. Categories |