Can someone, from BC, explain why this guy isn't being stopped? I want to say some pretty nasty things about the Left Coast right now, but I'll reserve judgement until I hear some local perspective.
Opinion: With little notice and even less transparency, the Royal B.C. Museum is demolishing some of Canada's most iconic exhibits with no idea of what's going to …
vancouversun.com
I'm not exactly sure to whom you're referring, but the 'guy' who is destroying the Old Town section of the museum without first preparing a coherent plan to replace it is us - the people of BC as represented by our elected officials and civil servants.
As pointed out in this recent letter to the Editor (below), ironically, amongst other gross errors of leadership this effort seems to be hurting the people it intends to help. So, once again, BC has taken careful aim at an issue and shot itself in both feet. We are an excellent example to not follow.
You're welcome
Indigenous being used by colonists, yet again
The Royal B.C. Museum board is being disingenuous in its claim that it is “decolonizing” its space to make it safe for Indigenous peoples.
In fact, it is doing the opposite, and is using Indigenous peoples to further its own goals, as colonists have always done.
As an Indigenous person myself who has an inherently strong interest in reconciliation, I am outraged by the way the museum board is using us to claim that its destructive plan is being done for our benefit.
We need to ask to what is really going on here. The museum appears to be trying to accomplish a few goals, and all of them benefit only the institution, not us.
It is clearly trying to virtue signal how good and anti-racist it is in an attempt to deal with bad PR over racism in the museum. It obviously wants to have the ability to say “we’ve taken bold action” (no matter how harmful to Indigenous peoples).
It wants to claim to be respecting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action. This is not what the TRC called for, and to suggest that somehow this action honours the calls made by the TRC is a dishonest manipulation of the TRC’s work.
Finally, one strongly suspects that it wants to pressure the provincial government for more funding — for “consultation,” a new building, reconstruction or something else.
The result is widespread public anger and hostility. Who bears the brunt? Indigenous people, of course, because we are conveniently being used as the reason for these short-sighted actions.
The museum’s actions set back reconciliation in immeasurable ways. What is happening now is a stark example of systemic racism against Indigenous peoples.
I can’t believe no one has pointed that out yet.
B.P. Williams
Victoria
www.timescolonist.com
