Pioneer mural OK

YOUR LETTERS

Editor Godbout’s editorial in the May 19 Citizen headed “Take down the disgraceful public art” may not go down as one of his better ones.

Prince George is a town of tens of thousands of families living in security, raising families, paying taxes. How can it be disgraceful to have a mural that gives credit to the pioneers that came in and helped this community to be established?

To suggest it is similar to a situation in New Orleans is a stretch. There are some statues of men that, in order to retain the evil laws of slavery, were willing to plunge the young country of the U.S. into a civil war that eventual cost the lives of more than 600,000 young men.

Nothing similar was done by the pioneers of Prince George. Godbout mentioned the residential schools as a kind of genocide. Does he not read his own paper? In the April 21 Citizen, there was a guest column entitled “Residential schools not a black-and-white issue.” In that piece, native leaders mentioned some good things that had happened in residential schools and its role in people coming to the Christian faith.

Some years ago in Inuvik, I met an Inuit man who was the head of a large corporation. He, as a child, had been sent to a residential school in Inuvik, 100 miles from his home. I asked him if he had been abused there. He said that he had not been abused and if not for the education he received there, he would never have obtained the position he had.

Of course, much happened in the residential schools that was not good but the word genocide should not be used when talking about these institutions. Chief Robert Joseph, who is quoted in the above-mentioned editorial, says he was abused during the eleven years that he attended residential school. He also said there were some good people working there. He is quoted as saying, “I think about them and wonder where they are and, if I had a chance to talk to them, I would like to thank them for their service and their kindness.” He also said that some fellow aboriginals credits those schools with teaching them to be leaders.

I read a story about a white man exploring the North with a band of natives who came upon a small camp of Inuit. They immediately attacked the Inuuit and began killing them. A young girl flung herself at the feet of the European, hoping he would save her. He tried to wave them off to no avail and she was killed by a spear. He then also was given a lecture on why it was wrong for him to think that such people should be allowed to live. With British common law coming to Canada, such genocidal behavior came to an end. It is interesting how little friction this change caused in this part of the country.

I believe the natives were pleased when forts and Hudson Bay stores were established where they could buy guns, powder and bullets, to make hunting easier, and where they could sell their furs to then purchase more provisions. For Stone Age people to move into modern society in two or three generations is a big accomplishment. It took much longer in Northern Europe for this to happen. We should help and make allowance for our fellow Canadian citizens who are aboriginals.

Godbout is wrong to object to white people being honored for developing this region. It was they who had the vision to establish sawmills, pulpmills, mines, dams and pipelines. Some aboriginal leaders of a later day deserve recognition. I can think of Harry Chingee of the McLeod Lake band. He attended the Lejac Residential School. As chief of the McLeod Lake band, he diligently negotiated for a large tract of fertile forest land to be give to the band under the Treaty Eight agreement. With this base, the band was able to establish a large logging and construction corporation, where some of their young people are able to find work. Lately other native bands have, to their credit, established logging companies and sawmills also. The mural should stay. Svend Serup Prince George