We stand in solidarity with all Indigenous community members who are re-traumatized each time they are forced to look upon the likeness of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against them and their communities. Welcoming and accepting societies do not commemorate and idolize individuals who have intentionally and unashamedly committed unspeakable atrocities.
The Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, in conjunction with Indigenous community partners, and over 1000 residents calls upon the City of Hamilton to expedite their process and make the right choice to remove the statue of John A. MacDonald from Gore Park immediately. The tide has turned on this issue, the public has become disillusioned with the myths that have been woven around these historical figures and now see who and what they truly were. These monuments elevate and celebrate nothing other than the ideals of colonialism, genocide, and white supremacy, just as their historical champions did.
Failure to take leadership on this issue would be a disservice to the community and to those most directly affected by these issues. It would fuel anger, distrust, and disillusionment with the municipal process, and encourage resort to alternative methods of rectifying the issue. Indigenous communities have made themselves clear on this, and the best leadership is proactive, not reactive.
To be clear, this is only a start and is the absolute bare minimum response to these recent events. All cities in Canada must engage in a process of decolonization, anti-racism, and anti-oppression. We are on stolen land and operate within colonial institutions and a society permeated with white supremacy. The time for action is now.
Today July 8th, 2021, we will be delegating at the Emergency and Community Services Committee in support of Councillor Nann’s motion to immediately remove the statue of Sir John A. MacDonald from City of Hamilton owned lands known as Gore Park and place it in storage.
Presentation Shared With the Emergency and Community Services Committee
