Damaged flag speaks of mixed feelings
That giant red-and-white Canadian flag in downtown Kitchener, streaked with black by dissenters, is a telling symbol for our times.
Indigenous peoples of Canada have never been comfortable celebrating the European takeover of the land on which they lived.
But in the days and weeks before Canada’s 150th anniversary this year, the news media were full of commentary from Indigenous people talking about why they weren’t celebrating.
Why would they, when their land had been stolen, when generations of children were forced to attend violent, abusive residential schools, and when many of the reserves on which they live offer substandard conditions and high unemployment?
It’s a compelling argument, and raised public awareness of the issue.
For months, Themuseum in downtown Kitchener has displayed a giant Canadian flag, costing $10,000, on its building facade.
Before dawn on Canada Day, someone climbed onto the roof of the building and draped a banner over part of it, said chief executive officer David Marskell. It said: “150+YEARS OF RESISTANCE #UNSETTLING 150.”
Also, a black substance, which Marskell thought was paint but now believes is ink, was poured onto the flag. Police are investigating. The flag has been taken down in hopes it can be cleaned and salvaged.
Meanwhile, the protest banner has been added to Themuseum’s current exhibit of Indigenous art and history, entitled “A Cause for Celebration? First Things First.”
Marskell has had some responses that he was wrong to “reward” the vandals by putting their protest banner in the exhibit. But he sees it as a way to start a dialogue.
“While I don’t like everything about the protest, I’m pleased Themuseum has been chosen as the place to express it,” he said. “To be a fair land, we need to listen and understand.”
I agree. In its way, the protest banner is a historical document, as much as it also is evidence of a crime.
If you’ve been to the exhibit (and you should see it before it closes Sept. 4) it offers a rare opportunity for people in this area to understand, with their hearts and minds, the harm that has been done by a country with a worldwide reputation for decency.
A conversation about the response of Indigenous people to Canada Day celebrations is planned for Wednesday July 12 at 5:30 p.m. at Themuseum.
Admission is free. Donations will be encouraged for a project that aims to save historical records of the residential school in Brantford.
You can register for the talk here: causeforcelebrationdialogue.eventbrite.ca
Grocery store update: The response to Tuesday’s column on whether fast-growing downtown Kitchener needs a full-service chain grocery store was fast and furious.
Readers of that column will recall that I looked at five places in downtown Kitchener that sell groceries, to see if any of them qualify as a place where you can do a oncea-week shop for what your household needs.
Here are some questions I was asked after the fact, and my response: Why not mention the Kitchener Market, which sells food on Saturdays? I should have mentioned it, since it is a huge draw for food shopping. I didn’t include it in my survey, because it’s open just one day a week. It’s not a store. What about Central Fresh Market? It’s a great supermarket, but it’s not in downtown Kitchener. It’s on King Street across from Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate, which is in a neighbourhood that used to be called North Ward and now is known as Midtown.